Understanding Metaphysics: Origins, Definition, and Core Concepts
Origins of Metaphysics
Although Aristotle laid the foundation of metaphysics as a branch of knowledge, its true origin appears at the beginning of philosophy. The first Greek philosophers tried to find an explanation for the origin and formation of the world. However, the beginnings of metaphysics can be placed further back in time. In Egyptian civilization, a great concern for the afterlife, the gods, and worship was found. The desire for eternity is reflected in its aesthetic, since large volumes of its architectural construction rise to the passage of time. In the heart of Europe, the Hallstatt culture accompanied the dead with weapons, domestic objects, etc. Undoubtedly, these are early beliefs in a world beyond the physical. The very fact of burials suggests a symbolic consciousness about life and the beyond. In short, the major themes of Western metaphysics are: concern for the beginnings of the world, the immortality of the soul, and the question of divinity.
Definition of Metaphysics
The term “metaphysics” was coined around 70 BC by the Greek philosopher Andronicus of Rhodes when he compiled and edited fourteen books by Aristotle. In these books, Aristotle essentially dealt with two types of issues:
- The relations between science and objects.
- The possibility of a science that studies all principles, all substances.
In short, Aristotle planned metaphysics as a science or first philosophy. Metaphysics can be defined as the study of the great features of reality that transcends the sensible.
Substance and Accidents
Substance is the fundamental definition of the object itself; that is, what remains constant and unchanged despite the changes that the object might have. In contrast, accidents are those features of objects that are not fundamental for their configuration. It can be deduced, therefore, that substance defines what something is in its essence. In fact, for Aristotle, substance is the necessary essence of things. Thomas Aquinas defines substance by its survival; that is, its independence from any other circumstance. Descartes defines substance as such. William of Ockham said that substance represents the object by its internal constitution. However, Locke declares that, while establishing substance, he really cannot know it definitively because it operates beyond the limits of experience. According to Hume, substance is an idea that has no correlate in any sensory impression; therefore, it is a mere fiction.
The Problem of Being
The concept of being is the axis on which metaphysics is built.
- Predicative Use: According to this use, a certain quality is attached to the subject of a proposition, e.g., “Socrates is a man.”
- Existential Use: It can simply express the existence of an object, but it may also indicate the recognition that identifies an object as such. For example, when we declare “Socrates is,” we note the fact of Socrates’ existence.