What is Metaphysics?

Summary

Metaphysics, the branch of philosophy exploring the nature of existence, space, time, and the divine, has faced scrutiny in the 20th century. Traditionally seen as foundational to understanding the world, it has been challenged by scientific advancements and philosophical movements like logical positivism and deconstruction, which view metaphysical inquiries as linguistic ambiguities or a manifestation of logocentrism.

Takeaways

• 📚 Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the most general and abstract questions, such as the nature of existence, space, time, God, and the human soul.
• 🔍 It aims to provide a comprehensive account of the world that is not affected by the uncertainties of experience, offering a systematic understanding beyond empirical knowledge.
• 📜 The term 'metaphysics' is derived from 'ta metatar physica', meaning 'the work after the physics', and was catalogued after Aristotle's 'Physics'.
• 👶 Aristotle's 'Metaphysics', also known as 'first philosophy', is one of the earliest and most influential works on the subject in Western philosophy.
• 🔄 Metaphysics is considered to be the study that comes after physics, offering a systematic account of the categories used by physics, the study of nature.
• 🤔 Central to the subject are three fundamental questions: the nature of existence, the persistence of things through change, and the overall understanding of the world.
• 🛑 In the 20th century, metaphysics faced criticism and its existence was questioned, with some viewing it as outdated or unnecessary in light of scientific advancements.
• 🧑‍🔬 The natural sciences, particularly mathematics and theoretical physics, have taken over questions that were once the domain of metaphysics, such as those about space and time.
• 🗣️ The 'linguistic turn' in philosophy led to the view that traditional metaphysical concerns are often rooted in linguistic misuse and ambiguities.
• 🔍 For logical positivists and analytic philosophers, metaphysics is seen as speculative and unverifiable, with problems arising from language misuse.
• 📚 Deconstructionists, like Jacques Derrida, use 'metaphysics' or 'Western metaphysics' as a synonym for philosophy itself, critiquing its inherent logocentric tendencies.
• 🔄 The task for philosophers, according to some traditions, is to clarify concepts and language to eliminate metaphysical pseudo-problems.

Q & A

What is the traditional definition of metaphysics?

Metaphysics is traditionally defined as the branch of philosophy that deals with the most general and abstract questions, such as those pertaining to the nature of existence, the categories of space and time, the existence of God, or the immortality of the human soul.

What does metaphysics aim to provide?

Metaphysics aims to provide a comprehensive account of the world that is proof against the uncertainties of experience.

What is the origin of the term 'metaphysics'?

The term 'metaphysics' is supposedly derived from the Greek words 'ta metatar physica', which means 'the work after the physics', referring to the treatise by Aristotle that was catalogued after his 'Physics'.

What is the significance of Aristotle's 'Metaphysics' in the history of philosophy?

Aristotle's 'Metaphysics', which he himself called 'first philosophy', is one of the earliest treatises on the subject and has had immense influence on the entire history of Western philosophy.

In what way is metaphysics related to physics?

Metaphysics is to physics as meta-language is to language, offering a systematic account of the categories employed by physics, which is defined as the study of nature.

What are the three central questions at the heart of Aristotle's 'Metaphysics'?

The three central questions are: 1. What is existence and what sorts of things exist in the world? 2. How can things continue to exist and yet undergo the change we see about us in the natural world? 3. How can this world be understood?

Why has metaphysics come under attack in the 20th century?

Metaphysics has come under attack due to developments in the natural sciences, which have made questions pertaining to space and time a matter for mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and the so-called 'linguistic turn' in philosophy, which views traditional concerns of metaphysics as problems arising from the misuse of language.

What is the view of the logical positivists of the Vienna Circle on metaphysics?

For the logical positivists of the Vienna Circle, metaphysics is viewed as a derogatory term to be applied to speculative or unverifiable statements, such as 'God exists'.

How do philosophers associated with analytic philosophy and ordinary language philosophy view metaphysical problems?

For these philosophers, metaphysical problems are simply a product of the ambiguities of language, and the task of philosophy is to arrive at a better understanding of concepts through a better understanding of language.

What is the perspective of Jack Derrida and practitioners of deconstruction on metaphysics?

Jack Derrida and practitioners of deconstruction tend to use the term 'metaphysics' or 'Western metaphysics' as a synonym for philosophy itself and hold that it is the most dangerous manifestation of logocentrism.