Understanding Metaphysics: Core Concepts and Key Thinkers

Posted on Apr 6, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Metaphysics: Exploring the Nature of Reality

Metaphysics is the study of the fundamental nature of reality and being. Aristotle noted that a deeper analysis of the common aspects of all that exists was necessary, beyond the study of natural phenomena. This analysis became the object of ‘first philosophy,’ focusing on the study of reality and existence itself.

Aristotle’s View on Being

Aristotle stated that first philosophy explores the features of ‘being qua being,’ also known as substance. He sought to identify the first principles and causes of being. Ontology, the study of being, is considered by Aristotle as the highest form of philosophy, hence his term ‘first philosophy.’

Metaphysics and its Branches

Metaphysics is closely linked to philosophy and science. Other branches of philosophy derive from classical metaphysics, characterized by a high level of abstraction aimed at describing the common denominator of reality. These traits transcend the specifics of particular beings.

The Nature of Metaphysical Discourse

Metaphysical discourse is argumentative, relying on rational knowledge and well-founded arguments. It adheres to certain principles:

  • The Principle of Non-Contradiction: It is impossible for a being to simultaneously possess and not possess a specific property.
  • The Principle of the Excluded Middle: When an object has a property, nothing else can have that property.

Key Characteristics of Metaphysics

Several traits define metaphysics:

  1. It seeks to analyze the first principles of reality.
  2. It explores the ‘root’ of reality, aiming to identify the essence of concrete things.
  3. It aims to overcome the differences between particular things.
  4. It considers the fundamental reference point of human reality, analyzing problems in relation to the human being.

Fundamental Questions in Metaphysics

Metaphysics addresses fundamental questions common to all sciences, such as the origin of things.

Key Questions:

  • Heidegger: Why is there something rather than nothing?
  • What are the fundamental features of what exists?

Different Types of Reality

Within reality, some things exist, while others do not. Examples include:

  1. Fact: A toy
  2. Virtual Reality: A game
  3. Dreams, hallucinations, and illusions

Perspectives on the External World

Philosophers have long debated the nature of the external world. Key perspectives include:

  1. Common-Sense Realism: There is a real, external world perceived by the senses and analyzed by science.
  2. Skepticism: Our senses do not provide a reliable picture of the external world; we can be deceived.
  3. Phenomenalism: We are unable to provide a global view of the world.

Key Metaphysical Systems

Several philosophical thinkers have proposed important metaphysical systems:

Plato’s Dualism

Plato believed in two distinct realities: the material world perceived by the senses, and the world of ideas, which is unchanging and true.

Aristotle’s Substance

For Aristotle, the essential reality is the substance of being. Each thing has a substance, a nature that determines its movement and evolution. This implies an acceptance of the reality of particular things experienced through the senses, unlike Plato’s view.

Marx’s Materialism

Marx addressed the need to understand the new society resulting from the Industrial Revolution. Unlike Hegel’s idealism, Marx critiqued nascent capitalist society.

Unlike Hegel, Marx thought that the fundamental reality is neither reason nor conscience, but the subject.

Core Tenets of Marx’s Philosophy:

  1. Only matter exists.
  2. Matter is transformed by human labor.
  3. Human relationships have a specific historical evolution.