DIFFERENT SENSES OF METAPHYSICS

• RELATED QUESTIONS:
  •   Analyse the different senses of Metaphysics; emphasizing the inevitability of metaphysics as the core of philosophy.
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  Introduction
              In order to understand the true nature of metaphysics, it would be appropriate to enumerate the subject matter of philosophy. This would enable us to see where metaphysics falls in within the philosophical structure. Philosophy as it were, has varying subject matters for professional and academic purposes. So, these would be presented one after the other.
  
  
  The Subject-Matter of Philosophy (For Academic Purposes)
  ·         METAPHYSICS
  •   Ontology (Metaphysica generalis) - the study of being qua being i.e. the study of being in itself.
  •   Specialised metaphysics/regional ontologies (Metaphysica specialis) - the study of being in separate or various aspects of reality.
  ·         EPISTEMOLOGY
  A critical evaluation of all our claims to knowledge and what it means to know.
  ·         ETHICS
  The normative and prescriptive science of human behaviour or conduct.
  ·         LOGIC
  The heart and rational tool of philosophy by which it carries out its functions.
  ·         HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
  The chronological account of the evolution of the philosophical enterprise from its inception till contemporary times.
  ·         PHILOSOPHY OF OTHER DISCIPLINES
  The motherly efforts of philosophy to critique other disciplines, simply to ensure that they become more grounded and focussed.
  
  
  The Subject Matter of Philosophy (For Professional Purposes)
               ·         ONTOLOGY (METAPHYSICA GENERALIS)
  The study of being qua being i.e. the study of being in itself.
  ·         EPISTEMOLOGY
  A critical evaluation of all our claims to knowledge and what it means to know.
  ·         AXIOLOGY
  •   Aesthetics – the normative theory and value of art.
  •   Ethics - The normative and prescriptive science of human behaviour or conduct.
  
  
  The Different Senses of Metaphysics
              From the foregoing analysis, it is clear that professional metaphysics is “Ontology, aka Metaphysica Generalis”. Ontology is the study of being in itself. It is the study of what belongs to things in general and not this or that aspect of reality. Normally, whenever we try to explain reality (even if it is in a particular aspect of reality), we are practising metaphysics. It is for this reason that academic metaphysics is been stratified into “Metaphysica generalis and Metaphysica specialis”. As earlier said, Metaphysica generalis is ontology (the real metaphysics); but Metaphysica specialis refers to the regional ontologies or specialized sciences i.e. a search for “what is” in this or that aspect of reality.
  The specialized sciences which deals with particular aspects of “what is” are the likes of Literature, History, Theology, Sociology, Physics, Geography, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, Astronomy, Mathematics, Chemistry and so on and so forth. In essence, any discipline which tries to explain “what is” in any aspect of reality is under the umbrella of Metaphysica Specialis. For example, Psychology is an attempt to explain “what is” as regards the human mind (an aspect of reality). Also, Geography is an attempt to explain “what is” as regards the physical structures of the earth (another aspect of reality). Again, Astronomy is an attempt to explain “what is” as regards the elementary, physical bodies and structures of the universe as a whole (another unique aspect of reality). Thus, one can see that all these particular disciplines are focussed attempts to explain the nature of being in their respective fields. Thus, they are being metaphysical; hence, the tag “Metaphysica Specialis”.
  However, as regarding generalised metaphysics (Metaphysica Generalis) properly called Ontology, its main vocation is to study being in the widest, most general and universal sense. It wants to study and explain those particular elements that transcend all beings. Therefore, ontology, by examining the general structures of the world, does provide a laying ground, a foundation from which other sciences (Metaphysica specialis) can take their rise or footing.
  
  
  Conclusion
              It has been duly enumerated that any attempt to explain “what is” as regards reality is metaphysics. But, in order not to confuse things, it has been expressed that real professional metaphysics is Ontology. This is so, in order to reduce the weight of metaphysical enquiry as related to particular fields of reality (Metaphysica Specialis). Thus, even though a sociologist or astronomer for example, is a metaphysician; a true metaphysician is an Ontologist like Martin Heidegger.
  
  
  
  
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