1349. Metaphysics in the broad sense . . .

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1. Metaphysics in the broad sense is more or less explicit understanding of ultimate reality in its structure in itself, as distinct from its meaning for us.

2. "Ultimate reality" refers to the threefold reality of ourselves, others, and the whole, and thus to our own existence together with the necessary conditions of its possibility, which include, of course, the necessary conditions of the possibility of any and all existence.

3. Metaphysics in the strict sense is more or less explicit understanding of strictly ultimate reality in its structure in itself, as distinct from its meaning for us.

4. "Strictly ultimate reality" refers to the reality of the whole and of any of its concrete parts simply as such, and thus to the necessary conditions of the possibility of any and all existence, including our own. 

5. The necessary conditions of the possibility of our own existence, as distinct from any and all existence, are properly called "existentials," even as the necessary conditions of the possibility of any and all existence, including our own, are properly called "transcendentals."

6. That we exist is sufficient evidence of the existence or reality of all of the necessary conditions of the possibility of our existence as well as of any and all existence. 

7. Our existence is also sufficient evidence of our at least implicit understanding of all such necessary conditions, existence in our case being precisely existence in the emphatic sense of understanding existence.

23 February 2000; rev. 23 March 2001; 28 November 2005