Definition

1. Noun:
   • The branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of reality and existence: "Metaphysics" is the study of the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.
   • Abstract or theoretical talk or principles: Informally, "metaphysics" can refer to highly abstract, speculative, or theoretical discussion.

Usage

• As a field of academic philosophy, "metaphysics" is typically treated as a singular, uncountable noun.
• It addresses questions that go beyond ("meta-") the physical or empirical sciences, exploring the nature of reality itself.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Aristotle's writings on metaphysics laid the groundwork for much of Western philosophy.
  • The debate between free will and determinism is a classic problem in metaphysics.
  • His argument descended into pure metaphysics, with no connection to practical evidence.

Advanced Usage

• "Speculative metaphysics": A branch or approach that constructs grand, overarching theories about the nature of reality, often criticized for being untestable.

  • Kant was critical of the dogmatic claims made by speculative metaphysics.

• "Revisionary metaphysics": An approach that aims to improve or revise our common conceptual understanding of the world.

  • The philosopher's work is an exercise in revisionary metaphysics, challenging our everyday notions of objects and events.

Variants and Related Words

• Metaphysical (adj): Pertaining to metaphysics; highly abstract or theoretical.

  • He posed a metaphysical question about the meaning of existence.

• Metaphysician (n): A philosopher who specializes in metaphysics.

  • She is a metaphysician interested in the nature of time.

Synonyms

• First philosophy: An older term, used by Aristotle, essentially synonymous with metaphysics.
• Ontology: A core sub-discipline of metaphysics focused specifically on the nature of being and existence.
• Speculative philosophy: Philosophy that theorizes about fundamental principles beyond immediate experience.

Notes on Meaning

• The term originates from the title given to Aristotle's treatise that came "after" () his writings on "Physics." It originally meant "the works coming after the ," but came to signify the subject of those works: the study of first principles.
• In common, non-technical usage, calling an idea "metaphysical" can imply it is overly abstract, impractical, or divorced from observable reality.

Noun

1. the philosophical study of being and knowing