形而上學

See also: 形而上学

Chinese

		abstract or intangible things	learn; study; science learn; study; science; ‑ology
trad. (形而上學)		形而上	學
simp. (形而上学)		形而上	学

Etymology

Wasei kango (和製漢語) coined by Inoue Tetsujirō as a translation of English metaphysics, with the 形而上 (xíng'érshàng) part from I Ching:

是故，形而上者謂之道，形而下者謂之器。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

是故，形而上者谓之道，形而下者谓之器。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shìgù, xíng'érshàng zhě wèi zhī dào, xíng'érxià zhě wèi zhī qì. [Pinyin]

Hence that which is antecedent to the material form exists, we say, as an ideal method, and that which is subsequent to the material form exists, we say, as a definite thing.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xíng'érshàngxué

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄒㄩㄝˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jing⁴ ji⁴ soeng⁶ hok⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xíng'érshàngxué
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄒㄩㄝˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: síng-érshàngsyué
    • Wade–Giles: hsing²-êrh²-shang⁴-hsüeh²
    • Yale: syíng-ér-shàng-sywé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyngerlshanqshyue
    • Palladius: синъэршансюэ (sinʺeršansjue)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiŋ³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jing⁴ ji⁴ soeng⁶ hok⁶
    • Yale: yìhng yìh seuhng hohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jing⁴ ji⁴ soeng⁶ hok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ying⁴ yi⁴ sêng⁶ hog⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɪŋ²¹ jiː²¹ sœːŋ²² hɔːk̚²/

Noun

(deprecated template usage) 形而上學

1. metaphysics (a branch of philosophy)
2. metaphysics (the world outlook and methodology opposed to dialectics)

   堅持唯物辯證法，反對形而上學。 [MSC, trad.]
   坚持唯物辩证法，反对形而上学。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jiānchí wéiwù biànzhèngfǎ, fǎnduì xíng'érshàngxué. [Pinyin]

   Adhere to dialectical materialism and oppose metaphysics.

3. (dated) social science

Synonyms

• (metaphysics): 形上 (xíngshàng), 玄學／玄学 (xuánxué)

Antonyms

• 形而下學／形而下学
• 辯證法／辩证法 (biànzhèngfǎ)

(deprecated template usage)