The metaphysical is the basis of philosophy and also the branch responsible for the study of the existence of being.
Through metaphysics, an interpretation of the world is sought, regarding nature, the constitution and basic structures of reality.
What is?
The word metaphysical comes from the Greek and the prefix “meta” means “beyond”. The first philosopher to deal with the subject in a systematic way was Aristotle.
In fact, he himself called this idea “first philosophy”, because he understood that it would be the foundation of philosophical reflection. Thus, the term metaphysics was not coined by him, but by one of his disciples who organized his work.
In addition to the “first philosophy”, Aristotle investigated the “science of being while being”. So he was interested in questioning what makes the story different and at the same time private.
Aristotle
Unlike Plato, Aristotle thought that the principles of reality are not in the intelligible world, but in our sensitive world. Reality is subject to time and space.
Aristotle stated that four causes condition the existence of beings:
- Material cause : the body is composed of matter. such as blood, skin, muscles, bones, etc.
- Form : if on the one hand we have matter, we also have a form. One head, two arms, two legs, etc. Thus, this form transforms us into singular beings that differ from others.
- Efficient : why do we exist? The first answer is because someone made us. This would be a response from the “efficient cause” field: we exist because we were created.
- Final : we exist for something. This answer transcends the previous one because we are facing a purpose, a goal. All beings were created for an end. The field of philosophy that studies it is called “teleology”.
See also: Aristotle
Kant
It is common to hear that Kant (1724-1804) would have killed metaphysics. However, what Kant meant is that the human being is not able to answer certain metaphysical questions like the existence of God and the soul, for example.
Kant will seek to value reason. If I cannot find rational evidence, I must not deal with these questions or at least they do not belong to the field of reason.
So, Kant will change the questions. Rather than asking what is true, he will ask himself how it is possible for the truth to exist.
Kant exposed his thought in the work “The Foundation of Metaphysics of Customs” , written in 1785.
resume
The history of metaphysics is divided into three periods:
- First period : begins with Plato and Aristotle (between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC) and ends with David Hume (18th century). At this stage, metaphysics was understood as a reflection of being in its most general sense. One of the great scholars of this time will be Thomas Aquinas who will recover Aristotelian philosophy and apply it in his theological studies.
- Second period : begins with Immanuel Kant , during the 18th century, and ends in the 20th century with Edmund Husserl and his studies on phenomenology . Kant will continue Hume’s studies by pointing out the primacy of reason over the transcendental issues raised by metaphysics.
- Third period : it is the period that begins in the second decade of the twentieth century until the present day. Corresponds to the studies of contemporary metaphysics. The most negative criticisms of metaphysics arise with the recovery of materialism and the creation of positivism. On the other hand, at the end of the 20th century we have a resurgence of metaphysics through esoteric currents.
Ontology
The area of philosophy that deals with the nature of being, which is the reality and existence of things, and metaphysical issues in general is called ontology.
In the philosophical sense it has several definitions and some authors consider it as the study of contemporary metaphysics.
The word results from the union of the Greek words ontos (being) and logos (word).
ethic
Ethics is a set of moral systems that affect the way people make decisions. It can be defined as a moral philosophy.
The term Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos , which means habits, customs or character.
Ethics is addressed in different segments of society, such as religion, politics, philosophy and culture.
While metaphysics studies being as a being, ethics deals with cause and effect. For Aristotle, ethics is based on metaphysics.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of the origin and acquisition of knowledge, so there is a specific area to check the validity of the knowledge of metaphysics.
Today, modern epistemology is based on two fundamental points: empiricism and rationalism.
Positivism
The positivism is the mainstream as opposed to metaphysics. Positivist thinking holds that the goal of science is logic. Emotions and thoughts are not considered.