The Metaphysics Book

Aristotle's Physics that I have recently read discussed things that change within space and time. Whereas, Aristotle's Metaphysics discusses things that do not change relative to space and time.

Metaphysics is Aristotle's principles and causes of being. Aristotle believed that everything around us consists of a substance, or the essence of a thing, where this substance is a mixture of actual form and potential matter. In these discussions of being, Aristotle, states that matter is only found in that what is being created, changing, and is perishable such as the things of the observable world and the celestial bodies and eternal sky. Whereas, that, what has no matter and just actual form is the embodiment of perfection which is stationary, indivisible and unobservable; the immovable mover of all (God).

Aristotle does not use the term metaphysics in book. There is this notion that the book was given the title Metaphysics by the ancient compilers of Aristotle's writings simply because these works came after his Physics book; where 'meta' means 'after' in Greek.

Aristotle presents his philosophical ideas and conclusions superior to those of the Pythagoreans, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Parmenides, and even his teacher Plato. He does give them partial recognition, but more often is critical (at times unjustifiably) of their philosophy. For instance, Aristotle is not content with Plato's mathematization of philosophy. So instead of using numbers and shapes to express a thing for what it precisely is, Aristotle, uses the semantic power of words to express a thing or being by giving it a precise name that would distinguish it from other things. Therefore, Aristotle, wants to detach and create a clear distinction between philosophy, on the one hand, and mathematics and physics, on the other. Consequently, Aristotle names the philosophy of this book, which he often refers to as theology and the study of being (ontology), as a first philosophy and physics and mathematics as a second philosophy.

Perhaps with all the scientific discoveries of the last couple of centuries metaphysics 'elbow room' has considerably narrowed, although, it was Aristotle and his emphasis on employing observation using our senses, not just reasoning, the backbone for gathering data in all of the sciences today. On the whole, the book is very readable, even though, the term being is used in many ways and the interpretation at times can be tricky or ambiguous. But some chapters (books) were truly amazing, and the content of the book withstood the test of time better than that of his Physics book.

(4.5/5.0)