形而上学 (xíng ér shàng xué) — metaphysics (branch of philosophy)

Definition

A branch of philosophy concerned with questions beyond physical reality (being, causation, the absolute). In Marxist usage, it also means an abstract, non-dialectical way of thinking — the opposite of 辩证法.

noun
metaphysics (branch of philosophy)

Examples

  • 形而上学。
    Tā zhèng zài yán jiū xíng ér shàng xué yǔ cún zài lùn de guān xì.
    He is researching the relationship between metaphysics and ontology.
  • 形而上学。
    Xǔ duō zhé xué jiā pī píng chuán tǒng de xíng ér shàng xué guò yú chōu xiàng.
    Many philosophers criticize traditional metaphysics as too abstract.
  • ，形而上学。
    Zài mǎ kè sī zhǔ yì zhé xué zhōng, xíng ér shàng xué bèi yòng lái zhǐ dài fēi biàn zhèng de sī wéi fāng shì.
    In Marxist philosophy, metaphysics is used to refer to non-dialectical ways of thinking.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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