Metaphysics is the most abstract of all the subjects within philosophy. A theory is often said to be metaphysical if, because of its abstract nature and complexity, it appears to be incomprehensible. Metaphysics is derived from the untitled works of Aristotle, which came along after his work entitled Physics. The word physics comes from the Greek word for “concerning nature,” and much of what we discuss under its heading is called “physical science.” The prefix meta means “after.” Accordingly, metaphysics literally means “after science.” It deals with those problems that are left unresolved after the work of the scientist has been completed.
But what does this mean?
It can mean a number of things. Science, in its various branches, only looks at a small part of nature at any one time, but metaphysics attempts to conjure up a holistic description of reality. It could also be said that the aim of metaphysics is to get beyond the world of experience, to try and understand the realm of the suprasensible (if it exists). Another task of metaphysics is to explore the foundations of knowledge in an attempt to establish fundamental—or first—principles, which is similar to the task of examining critically what other disciplines take for granted. Finally, there is metaphysics’ search for the fundamental constituents of the universe (i.e., what actually exists).
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