unanschaulich

Unanschaulich is a German adjective meaning not easily grasped by intuition or not representable through sense perception. The term combines un- (not) with anschaulich, from anschaulich meaning “clear to the eye, picturable,” itself derived from schauen “to look.” Consequently, something unanschaulich is abstract, complex, or metaphysical in a way that resists straightforward mental imagery or visual depiction.

In philosophy, unanschaulich is used to contrast ideas that are intuitively graspable with those that cannot be given through sensible intuition. In Kantian and post-Kantian discourse, it characterizes propositions, ideas, or entities that exceed direct perceptual representation and must be treated conceptually rather than pictorially. The word is common in German scholarly writing on topics such as space, time, causality, or the limits of reason, where certain notions defy intuitive illustration.

Outside philosophy, unanschaulich can describe explanations or phenomena that lack an immediate, vivid visualization and thus require abstract reasoning or formal argumentation. The antonym is anschaulich, meaning intuitive or easily pictureable. Related terms include Anschaulichkeit (intuitive clarity) and, in some contexts, discussions of Anschaulichkeitsprobleme (problems of intuitive clarity).

Examples: “Der Begriff Freiheit ist unanschaulich” or “Unanschauliche Begriffe lassen sich oft nur durch formale Argumentation vermitteln.”

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