Beyond Metaphysics
As metaphysics extends beyond physics, 'pataphysics extends beyond metaphysics into the realm of the imaginary.
'Pataphysics is the science of imaginary solutions, which symbolically attributes the properties of objects, described by their virtuality, to their lineaments.
Updated
4/15/2026
Reading Time
2 min
As metaphysics extends beyond physics, 'pataphysics extends beyond metaphysics into the realm of the imaginary.
While science studies laws, 'pataphysics studies the laws governing exceptions - the universe supplementary to this one.
The apostrophe in 'pataphysics is essential - it avoids a vulgar pun and marks the word as belonging to a special category.
'Pataphysics was invented by French writer Alfred Jarry (1873-1907), first appearing in his schoolboy farce Ubu Roi and later elaborated in Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician (written 1898, published 1911).
Jarry defined it as: "the science of imaginary solutions, which symbolically attributes the properties of objects, described by their virtuality, to their lineaments." This deliberately obscure definition is itself a 'pataphysical gesture.
Central to 'pataphysics is the concept of the clinamen - borrowed from Epicurean philosophy. The clinamen is the unpredictable swerve of atoms that allows for free will and creativity. In 'pataphysics, it represents the exception that proves nothing yet reveals everything.
'Pataphysics profoundly influenced 20th century art movements:
Marcel Duchamp never formally joined the Collège de 'Pataphysique, but his work embodies 'pataphysical principles more completely than perhaps any other artist. The readymades, The Large Glass, and Étant donnés all operate according to imaginary physics.
The Fountain (1917) is the quintessential 'pataphysical object: a urinal that becomes art not through physical transformation but through conceptual relocation. It exists in the universe supplementary to this one.
Understanding 'pataphysics is essential for understanding Elden Ring as art. The game doesn't just tell a story - it creates an imaginary solution to the problem of meaning in video games. Its incomplete lore, cyclical structure, and impossible geography are 'pataphysical design choices.