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The beginning of Aristotle's Metaphysics, one of the foundational texts of the discipline. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is often characterized as first philosophy, implying that it is more fundamental than other forms of philosophical inquiry.
Jun 25, 2024 · Metaphysics, branch of philosophy whose topics in antiquity and the Middle Ages were the first causes of things and the nature of being. Later, many other topics came to be included under the heading ‘metaphysics.’ The set of problems that now make up the subject matter of metaphysics is extremely diverse.
Sep 10, 2007 · Metaphysics. It is not easy to say what metaphysics is. Ancient and Medieval philosophers might have said that metaphysics was, like chemistry or astrology, to be defined by its subject-matter: metaphysics was the “science” that studied “being as such” or “the first causes of things” or “things that do not change”.
Putting its rather arbitrary etymological origins to one side, we can say the word ‘metaphysics’ refers to the philosophical study of reality: metaphysics essentially attempts to establish a coherent picture of what reality ultimately is and how reality ultimately works.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to metaphysics: Metaphysics – traditional branch of philosophy concerned witlh explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it, [1] althohugh the term is not easily defined. [2]
Metaphysics is the most abstract branch of philosophy. It’s the branch that deals with the “first principles” of existence, seeking to define basic concepts like existence, being, causality, substance, time, and space. Within metaphysics, one of the main sub-branches is ontology, or the study of being. These two terms are so closely ...
metaphysics, Branch of philosophy that studies the ultimate structure and constitution of reality—i.e., of that which is real, insofar as it is real.
Oct 19, 2023 · Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, possibility and actuality. Unlike physics, metaphysical concepts cannot be questioned and the answer is a final phase of response to it.
May 18, 2018 · METAPHYSICS is generally understood as a philosophical inquiry into the fundamental nature of reality. The word metaphysics derives from the Greek meta ta phusica ("after the things of nature"), a classificatory rubric used by commentators on and editors of Aristotle's corpus to refer to an untitled group of texts concerned with "first ...
This book is an accessible introduction to the central themes of contemporary metaphysics. It carefully considers accounts of causation, freedom and determinism, laws of nature, personal identity, mental states, time, material objects, and properties, while inviting students to reflect on metaphysical problems.
