Metaphysical vocabulary
20 Metaphysical Vocabulary Words with Meanings and Examples
1. Ontology: The study of being and existence.
- Example: Ontology investigates questions about the nature of objects, properties, and events.
2. Epistemology: The study of knowledge.
- Example: Epistemology explores questions about what we know, how we know it, and the limits of our knowledge.
3. Metaphysics: The study of the fundamental nature of reality.
- Example: Metaphysics investigates questions about existence, time, space, and causation.
4. Substance: The underlying reality of things.
- Example: Descartes’ dualism posits that there are two kinds of substance: mind and matter.
5. Causality: The relationship between cause and effect.
- Example: Metaphysics investigates the nature of causality and whether it is deterministic or probabilistic.
6. Determinism: The belief that all events are predetermined by prior causes.
- Example: Determinism suggests that free will is an illusion.
7. Free Will: The ability to make choices that are not determined by prior causes.
- Example: Free will is a central concept in many philosophical theories.
8. Teleology: The study of purpose and design in the universe.
- Example: Teleological arguments for the existence of God suggest that the universe exhibits evidence of purpose.
9. Nihilism: The belief that life is meaningless and there is no objective purpose or value.
- Example: Nihilism suggests that all values are arbitrary and subjective.
10. Relativism: The belief that truth is relative to a particular culture or individual.
- Example: Cultural relativism suggests that there are no universal moral truths.
11. Absolutism: The belief that there are absolute truths that are valid for everyone.
- Example: Absolutism suggests that certain moral principles are universally true, regardless of cultural differences.
12. Idealism: The belief that reality is ultimately mental or spiritual.
- Example: Idealism suggests that the physical world is a creation of the mind.
13. Materialism: The belief that reality is ultimately physical or material.
- Example: Materialism suggests that everything in the universe is made up of matter and energy.
14. Dualism: The belief that there are two distinct kinds of substance, such as mind and matter.
- Example: Descartes’ dualism posits that the mind is a non-physical substance.
15. Monism: The belief that there is only one kind of substance.
- Example: Monism suggests that mind and matter are different aspects of the same underlying reality.
16. Phenomenology: The study of the structure of consciousness and experience.
- Example: Phenomenology explores questions about how we perceive and experience the world.
17. Existentialism: A philosophical movement that emphasizes the individual’s existence and their choices.
- Example: Existentialism explores questions about the meaning of life and the human condition.
18. Hermeneutics: The study of interpretation, especially of texts.
- Example: Hermeneutics investigates questions about how we understand and interpret meaning.
19. Postmodernism: A philosophical and cultural movement that critiques modernism and its emphasis on reason, progress, and universal truth.
- Example: Postmodernism challenges the idea of a single, objective reality.
20. Deconstruction: A philosophical method that analyzes texts to reveal their underlying power structures and hidden meanings.
- Example: Deconstruction challenges the idea that texts have a single, fixed meaning.