Metaphysics
"Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the ultimate nature of existence. It perpetuates the Metaphysics of Aristotle, a collection of treatises placed after the Physics [Gr. metaphysics =after physics ] and treating what Aristotle called the First Philosophy. The principal area of metaphysical speculation is generally called ontology and is the study of the ultimate nature of being. However, philosophical theology and cosmology are also usually considered branches of metaphysics. In the history of philosophy there have been many great metaphysical systems." (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Credo Reference)
- Metaphysics: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on Metaphysics. This page includes links to articles, images, and a concept map.
- Metaphysics JournalsBrowse McKee Library's collection of metaphysics journals.
Research and Reference
- Metaphysics: Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyInformation on metaphysics from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- Metaphysics on PhilPapersWhat is the nature and structure of reality? Aristotle famously describes metaphysics as the study of "being qua being" and Descartes places metaphysics as “the root” of the tree of Philosophy.” Metaphysicians want to know what the world is like, and tend to ask questions about what sorts of things exist (e.g. are there numbers?), as well as what sorts of things are fundamental (e.g. is everything made of simple elements?). Among the more central subtopics of metaphysics are the topics of the nomological (including laws of nature and causation), the modal (including the nature of possibility), and the fundamental (including the relation between the fundamental and the derivative). Other central topics include time, the structure of objects (including human persons), and the nature of properties. There is also an ongoing discussion of meta-metaphysics, concerning the nature and viability of metaphysics itself.
Streaming Media
- Metaphysics and the Nature of ScienceStart with the metaphysical concept of reality and how it led to a scientific worldview. Then see how the scientific picture of reality changes as theories are refined or overthrown. Explore examples such as the germ theory of disease and philosopher Thomas Kuhn’s influential idea of paradigm shifts.
Perspectives
Newton's Metaphysics
In this collection of new and previously published essays, noted philosopher Eric Schliesser offers new interpretations of the signifance of Isaac Newton's metaphysics on his physics and the subsequent development of philosophy more broadly. Schliesser address Newton's account of space, time, gravity, motion, inertia, and laws-all evergreens in the literature; he also breaks new ground in focusing on Newton's philosophy of time, Newton's views on emanation, and Newton's modal metaphysics. In particular, Schliesser explores the rich resonances between Newton's and Spinoza's metaphysics. Schliesser presents a new argument of the ways in which Newton and his circle respond to the treatment and accusations of Spinozism, illuminating both the details of Newton's metaphysics and the content of Spinoza's. Schliesser provides a fine-grained analysis of some of the key metaphysical concepts in Newton's physics, including controversial interpretations of Newton's ideas on space, time, inertia, and necessity. Schliesser restates his provocative interpretation of Newton's views on action at a distance as he was developing the Principia. Newton's Metaphysics contains a substantive introduction, two chapters co-authored with Zvi Biener and with Mary Domski, new chapters on Newton's modal metaphysics and his theology, and two postscripts in which Schliesser responds to some of his most important critics, including Katherine Brading, Andrew Janiak, Hylarie Kochiras, Steffen Ducheyne, and Adwait Parker. The collection presents new and varied analyses on familiar focuses of Newton's work, adding important perspectives to the recent revival of interest in Spinoza's metaphysics.