While various views and methods have been called "metaphysics" across history, this article approaches metaphysics
first from the perspective of contemporary analytical philosophy, and then explores metaphysics in other
traditions. In this vein, metaphysics seeks the answer two basic questions.
1. Ultimately, what is there?
2. What is it like?
Topics of metaphysics investigation includes existence, objects and their properties,space and time, cause and effect,
and possibility. A central branch of metaphysics is ontology, the investigation into basic categories of being and how
they relate to one another.
There are two broad conceptions about what " world" is studies by metaphysics. The strong, classical view assumes
that the objects studied by metaphysics exist independently of any observer, so that the subject is the most
fundamental of all sciences. The weaker, more modern view assumes that the objects studied by metaphysics exist
inside the mind of an observer, so becomes a form of introspection and conceptual analysis.
Some philosophers and scientists, such as the logical positivists, reject the entire subject of metaphysics as meaningless, while others disagree and think that it is legitimate.
Prior to the modern history of science, scientific questions were addressed as a part of metaphysics known as
natural philosophy. Originally, the term "science" (Latin scientists) simply meant "knowledge". The scientific
method however, transformed natural philosophy into an empirical activity deriving from experiment unlike the
rest of philosophy. By the end of the 18th century, it had begun ta be called "science" to distinguish it from
philosophy. Thereafter, metaphysics denoted philosophical enquiry of a non-empirical character onto the nature
of existence.
"It is impossible that there should be demonstration of absolutely everything; for then, there would be an infinite
regress, so that there would still be no demonstration"
ARISTOTLE, METAPHYSICS