Some Lessons in Metaphysics is José Ortega y Gasset’s testament to metaphysics in relation to existential longing. While Ortega writes about metaphysics in other of his works, it is in Some Lessons in Metaphysics that he defines metaphysics as springing from man’s immediate (existential) necessity to find coherence in individual human existence, which man experiences as a «shipwrecked» being in the cosmos. Metaphysical reflection aims to establish coherence and meaning in human life. As a result of existential inquietude, Ortega argues that metaphysics is the cornerstone of thoughtful philosophical reflection for people who «need it».

{"references": ["Ortega y Gasset, Jos\u00e9 (1967). The Origin of Philosophy. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.", "Ortega y Gasset, Jos\u00e9 (1969). Some Lessons in Metaphysics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.", "Whitehead, Alfred North (1938). Modes of Thought. New York: Macmillan."]}