What is metaphysics ?

[obdshawn]

What is metaphysics in Philosophy ?

[James_S_Saint]

met·a·phys·ics (mt-fzks)
n.

1. (used with a sing. verb) Philosophy The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value.
2. (used with a pl. verb) The theoretical or first principles of a particular discipline: the metaphysics of law.
3. (used with a sing. verb) A priori speculation upon questions that are unanswerable to scientific observation, analysis, or experiment.
4. (used with a sing. verb) Excessively subtle or recondite reasoning.

[Peter_Kropotkin]

Actually it from Greek, it means beyond the physical.

meta-beyond
physics-physical

Kropotkin

[James_S_Saint]

@Peter Kropotkin

Actually it from Greek, it means beyond the physical.

meta-beyond
physics-physical

Kropotkin

And what we call “reasoning” is" beyond the physical", beyond the objects we reason about.

So in PK’s case, the metaphysical, reasoning, doesn’t exist. They have a name for that too.

[AutSider]

@James S Saint

@Peter Kropotkin

Actually it from Greek, it means beyond the physical.

meta-beyond
physics-physical

Kropotkin

And what we call “reasoning” is" beyond the physical", beyond the objects we reason about.

So in PK’s case, the metaphysical, reasoning, doesn’t exist. They have a name for that too.

If we never perceived any object, do you think we would be capable of constructing an abstract idea of it and reason about it?

Let’s say a person is born with no functioning senses and therefore no way of perceiving the outside world. Deaf, blind, unable to feel anything on physical contact, etc. Do you think that person would be able to do even basic math, logic etc.? Would he/she be capable of learning anything without the senses?

[Peter_Kropotkin]

@Atheris

@James S Saint

@Peter Kropotkin

Actually it from Greek, it means beyond the physical.

meta-beyond
physics-physical

Kropotkin

And what we call “reasoning” is" beyond the physical", beyond the objects we reason about.

So in PK’s case, the metaphysical, reasoning, doesn’t exist. They have a name for that too.

If we never perceived any object, do you think we would be capable of constructing an abstract idea of it and reason about it?

Let’s say a person is born with no functioning senses and therefore no way of perceiving the outside world. Deaf, blind, unable to feel anything on physical contact, etc. Do you think that person would be able to do even basic math, logic etc.? Would he/she be capable of learning anything without the senses?

K: I can only point out someone like Helen Keller who was blind and deaf. She was able to
to function in the world quite well. She once said of the two, being blind separates a person
from things, being deaf separates a person from people. As I have a hearing loss, I can say
from a hearing loss perspective, that is true. Anyway back to Keller, she used her other senses
to gather information. I can tell you that because of our loss, we kinda operate outside of
the lines. by that I mean, when I an listening to someone and I lose what they are saying
(which happens quite a lot, they might turn away or a noise distracts me or they put something
in front of their month and I can’t see their mouth), often I have to fill in the blanks in the conversation
by figuring out what they were saying and what I was able to pick up. You learn to fill in the blanks
really well. I can’t image in your test case of no operating senses that they would be anything but
a body who can’t do anything. I have no evidence to support this, just a guess.

Kropotkin

[James_S_Saint]

@Atheris

If we never perceived any object, do you think we would be capable of constructing an abstract idea of it and reason about it?

Let’s say a person is born with no functioning senses and therefore no way of perceiving the outside world. Deaf, blind, unable to feel anything on physical contact, etc. Do you think that person would be able to do even basic math, logic etc.? Would he/she be capable of learning anything without the senses?

What does that have to do with this topic???

If you had no mouth, teeth, or tongue, could you still eat your breakfast?

[Prismatic567]

@wiki

Metaphysics is a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it,[1] although the term is not easily defined.[2] Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:[3]
1.What is ultimately there?
2.What is it like?

For more details, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics

According to Kant, Metaphysics is almost as critical as the need to breathe and thus unavoidable by humans.
However, when asked,
Is metaphysics possible?
The answer is ‘No’.

Since Metaphysics is unavoidable by humans, it is a critical sub-topic of philosophy in the sense that we need to curb metaphysics by understanding its appropriate limits.

The three ultimate products of Metaphysics are,

1. the independent soul,
2. the Cosmos in totality & its reality and
3. the Supreme God.

By understanding the limits of these three things, humanity can avoid being carried away with such transcendental ideas [to the extent of reifying them] and avoid any serious catastrophe to humanity.

Preferably, the majority need to be weaned off from the psychological dependence on the above 3 metaphysical things in the future (next 75-100 years) and replace reliance on them with foolproofs methods to deal with the existential dilemma.