The term originates from the Greek metá ("after" or "beyond") and physiká ("physical"). Historically, the name was coined not by Aristotle himself, but likely by an editor (possibly Andronicus of Rhodes) who placed Aristotle’s treatises on the nature of being "after" his works on Physics . While it literally meant "the books after the physics," it evolved into a label for studies that go beyond the physical realm into the abstract foundations of reality. Major Branches of Metaphysics
Focuses on the origins, structure, and laws of the universe as a whole. Metafisica
Examines the "first principles" that underlie all other reasoning, such as the law of non-contradiction. Key Concepts and Debates The term originates from the Greek metá ("after"
Metaphysical thought is defined by several recurring "problems" that have occupied thinkers for millennia: Major Branches of Metaphysics Focuses on the origins,
The study of being and existence. It asks what types of things exist (e.g., physical objects, numbers, souls) and how they can be categorized.
The term originates from the Greek metá ("after" or "beyond") and physiká ("physical"). Historically, the name was coined not by Aristotle himself, but likely by an editor (possibly Andronicus of Rhodes) who placed Aristotle’s treatises on the nature of being "after" his works on Physics . While it literally meant "the books after the physics," it evolved into a label for studies that go beyond the physical realm into the abstract foundations of reality. Major Branches of Metaphysics
Focuses on the origins, structure, and laws of the universe as a whole.
Examines the "first principles" that underlie all other reasoning, such as the law of non-contradiction. Key Concepts and Debates
Metaphysical thought is defined by several recurring "problems" that have occupied thinkers for millennia:
The study of being and existence. It asks what types of things exist (e.g., physical objects, numbers, souls) and how they can be categorized.