ABSTRACT
The metaphysics is the branch of philosophy in which the effort to understand the universe, in other words to know reality, is purely intellectual. The philosophy is the genus of which metaphysics is a species; and intellectual is the differentia which distinguishes metaphysics from other species of philosophy. And intellectual thinking is a species of the genus thought. In metaphysics one plays a game of logical fence in the hope of defeating antagonists, actual or possible. But the rules of a game are arbitrary and man-made, and are binding only on those who consent to play. The victory over a rival metaphysician is not the same thing as victory over the guardians of the secret of the universe. The conclusions which the victorious metaphysician and every metaphysician are victorious in his own eyes claims to have established are in no way binding on whatever gods may be.
