what is metaphysics (1)

7/29/2019 What is Metaphysics (1)

1/16

1Saturday, February 4, 12


2/16

Metaphysical Inquiry

Aim of Metaphysics Possibility of Metaphysics Root and ground of

Metaphysical Inquiry- Central Problems of Metaphysics (CPM), 1-6

What is Metaphysics?



3/16



4/16

Multiplicityanddiversity



5/16

Thedifferencethatmakesthedifference-



6/16

What is the Aimof Metaphysics?

!We focus our inquiry explicitly on the ultimate

context of all experience, that of reality or beingitself, as such - rather than on any particular partof it.

! discover the essential, universal properties and

structures of all beings as real, their ultimateprinciples of intelligibility, and theirinterrelationships to form an intelligible whole.



7/16

What is the Aimof Metaphysics?

i.e., the ultimate laws of intelligibility

of being as being!

TRUTH?



8/16

Recall:

- metaphysics: metaphysical inquiry

- aim of metaphysics: focus inquiry on the

ultimate context of all experience, reality itself.discover the essential, universal propertiesand structures of all beings,

i.e., the ultimate laws of intelligibility of beingas being.

TRUTH?



9/16

! impossible to study all beings at once,because being is not some distinguishing

trait, is perfectly empty conceptually and tellsus nothing in particular!

no distinctive subject matter, but it has adistinctive point of view; it considers onlythe most general all-embracing laws of allthings, precisely as REAL, as existing.

7



10/16

Metaphysics draws out into the explicit light of ref-

lection what all other human thought leaves impli-cit and takes for granted - existence itself.

But it can be done only by reflective insight

and analysis.

8



11/16

Metaphysics is impossible because the humanbeing is finite.

In other words -Although metaphysics in its thrust or intention can be universaland absolute, its expression will always be limited, incomplete,

i.e., perspectival, from within a given culture and limited frame-work of thinking, speaking, imagining, feeling, within humanhistory.

Every human intellect is thus a finite, perspectivalvision-of-the-whole.

Capax totius entis(St. Thomas).



12/16

Every human intellect is thus a finite, perspectivalvision-of-the-whole.

Capax totius entis(St. Thomas).

PARADOX of the human mind:

- at once only finite, unrestricted in its drive to know all that

there is to know about all that there is.- infinite, inexhaustible capacity to know...limitless horizon ofinquiry, precisely as intellect (whose formal object or defininghorizon is being itself).

- human intellect is mysteriously co-equal with the wholeuniverse, a part that is also a whole embracing all wholes, atleast by thrust and intention, though vaguely and imperfectlyin its own finite way.



13/16



14/16



15/16

13



16/16

Descriptive: involves the discovery and description of thebasic properties and categories of being by comparative

reductive analysis (search for basic common properties

and irreducible modes of being) and reflective insight.

Explanatory: search for ultimate explanatory hypotheses

which render intelligible the finite changing realities of

our experience which are shown to be not adequately in-

telligible by themselves (do not contain their own suffi-cient reason within themselves).


what is metaphysics (1)

Documents