Metaphysical Moment Part I

For the next few weeks, my posts will discuss aspects of Metaphysics.  This week focuses on the basics of Metaphysics, its etymology, definition, what it is, and what it’s not. I recently earned my PhD in Metaphysical Sciences, so this is a topic I’m passionate about; I hope you are interested too or are curious to find out more.

I began my study of Metaphysics when I deconstructed the religion I was indoctrinated into.  It took decades to pull apart, examine, and question everything about reality that traditional religion told me was truth.  Now, I am free to question without reproach and I question everything.  For many people, Metaphysical principles replace dogma, doctrine, rules, inconsistencies in religious texts, and exclusionary practices of traditional religions.

The etymology of the word comes from…” [Greek] Aristotle around 350 BCE and 70 BCE by Andronicus of Rhodes who edited and commented on Aristotle’s works; ta meta ta physika : meta = philosophy of ‘higher…in pursuit or quest of’ (https://www.etymonline.com/word/meta-) and physics = ‘the nature of a thing’” (https://www.etymonline.com/word/physics). Other famous Metaphysicians include Plato, Immanuel Kant, Carl Jung, Mary Baker Eddy, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Einstein.

Here is an expanded definition of Metaphysics: “Metaphysics is traditionally considered the science of being, or more precisely, the science of being qua being (being in itself). The phrase ‘being qua being’ might sound complicated, but it simply refers to the study of existence in its most abstract form. Unlike other branches of philosophy that deal with particular aspects of reality (like ethics, which is concerned with right and wrong, or epistemology, which focuses on the nature of knowledge), metaphysics asks the most basic and profound questions: What does it mean for something to exist? What is the nature of reality itself? What does it mean to be?  In simple terms, metaphysics seeks to understand the very foundation of all that is. It’s a quest to explore the underlying principles that govern existence, attempting to answer questions like: What is the nature of space, time, causality, and substance? How do we understand the relationship between mind and body, or the distinction between appearance and reality? These questions may seem abstract, but they form the basis of much of our thinking about the world. Metaphysics seeks to uncover the fundamental truths that make all other knowledge possible.  Metaphysics has a unifying role in philosophy and science. All knowledge, whether it’s about the physical world, human behavior, or abstract concepts like justice or beauty, relies on some metaphysical assumptions. Take science, for example. In order to conduct any scientific inquiry, we assume that the world is composed of things that exist independently of our minds (this assumption is tied to the metaphysical concept of substance). We also assume that the laws of nature are consistent and universal. These assumptions may seem self-evident, but they are actually metaphysical in nature. Without them, scientific research would have no foundation.  Similarly, in ethics, we assume that certain actions are right or wrong based on the nature of human beings and the world. The moral order, too, depends on metaphysical assumptions about existence, causality, and the nature of good and evil. In fact, many philosophical debates ultimately return to metaphysical questions. For instance, when we debate whether free will exists, we are addressing a deeply metaphysical question about the nature of human agency and determinism” (https://philosophy.institute/metaphysics/defining-metaphysics-core-understanding/).

To know what Metaphysics IS, we…

•  recognize it as a philosophy that seeks to know the nature of reality, of consciousness

•  learn its tenets, principles [Next week’s post will address this specifically.]

• see it as a path to spiritual connection to God, the Higher Power, the Universe, the Source through inquiry, discovery, meditation rather than through dogma, doctrine, and groupthink

• note that it is esoteric (discovery from the individual perspective, one’s own questioning), not exoteric (doctrine that is presented by others or by a religious book outside one’s own discovery and through ‘blind faith’)

• are free to question, explore the deeper meanings of existence without the confusion of religious commands, directives, rules, control over the narrative and thought, and illusion of human supreme power and external authority

• are sovereign, thinking and acting independently and according to our own discoveries, answers to key questions in life, such as: What is existence? “Is existence a property that things possess, or is it something more fundamental?”What is the difference between being and non-being? How do we distinguish between what is and what is not?  What are the essential properties of being? Is being always the same, or does it vary depending on what kind of thing exists?” (https://philosophy.institute/metaphysics/defining-metaphysics-core-understanding/ ).  Sovereignty without outside interference is how universal principles are discovered.

Conversely, Metaphysics IS NOT…

• a religion, but, can encourage a highly spiritual practice

• a philosophy that demands or encourages people to give up their questioning about the nature of reality

• subject to indoctrination, rules, dogma, doctrine, control

• reliant on intermediaries such a savior, a priest, imam, preacher,  or rabbi

• dedicated to only one holy text; sacred texts’ interpretations, for example, can benefit from Metaphysical decoding of the Christian Bible.

Have you explored Metaphysics?  Are you interested in learning more about Metaphysics? Please share your thoughts, insights, and questions about Metaphysics by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading and participating in this blog essay; I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.  I’ll skip next week posting and will be back on 11/23.