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Metaphysics vs Reality - What's the difference?

metaphysics | reality |

As nouns the difference between metaphysics and reality

is that metaphysics is (philosophy|uncountable) the branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or explain all that is, and which are not themselves explained by anything more fundamental; the study of first principles; the study of being insofar as it is being (ens in quantum ens ) while reality is the state of being actual or real.

metaphysics

Noun

  • (philosophy, uncountable) The branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or explain all that is, and which are not themselves explained by anything more fundamental; the study of first principles; the study of being insofar as it is being (ens in quantum ens ).
  • Philosophers sometimes say that metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of the universe.
  • (philosophy, countable) The view or theory of a particular philosopher or school of thinkers concerning the first principles which describe or explain all that is.
  • The metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas holds that all real beings have both essence and existence.
    In Aristotelian metaphysics physical objects have both form and matter.
    In his ''Pensées'', Pascal mentioned some first principles recognized within his metaphysics : space, time, motion, and number.
  • (uncountable, by extension from the philosophical sense) Any fundamental principles or rules.
  • * 1990 Jan. 1, Lance Morrow, " Gorbachev: The Unlikely Patron of Change," Time :
  • The metaphysics of global power has changed. Markets are now more valuable than territory.
  • (uncountable) The study of a supersensual realm or of phenomena which transcend the physical world.
  • I have a collection of books on metaphysics , covering astral projection, reincarnation, and communication with spirits.
  • (uncountable) Displeasingly abstruse, complex material on any subject.
  • This political polemic strikes me as a protracted piece of overwrought, fog shrouded metaphysics !
  • (countable) Plural of countable senses of metaphysic.
  • Meronyms

    * ontology

    Derived terms

    * metaphysical * metaphysician * metaphysicist

    reality

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The state of being actual or real.
  • :
  • *(Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)
  • *:A man fancies that he understands a critic, when in reality he does not comprehend his meaning.
  • *
  • *:As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish,I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=(Joseph Stiglitz)
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=19, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Globalisation is about taxes too , passage=It is time the international community faced the reality : we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today
  • A real entity, event or other fact.
  • :
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:And to realities yield all her shows.
  • *(James Beattie) (1735-1803)
  • *:My neck may be an idea to you, but it is reality to me.
  • The entirety of all that is real.
  • An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
  • (lb) Loyalty; devotion.
  • *(Thomas Fuller) (1606-1661)
  • *:To express our reality to the emperor.
  • Realty; real estate.
  • Synonyms

    * actuality * real world

    Derived terms

    * reality check * reality show * reality television * virtual reality

    See also

    * tao

    Anagrams

    * irately ----