Meaning & use
transcendentals
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In philosophy, properties of being said to transcend all categories, traditionally including unity, truth, goodness, and beauty.
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Medieval philosophers debated whether beauty belonged among the transcendentals.
The lecture explored how the transcendentals relate to classical metaphysics.
A note on using this word
Rooted in scholastic philosophy, particularly the work of Thomas Aquinas, who discussed properties considered convertible with 'being' itself.
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