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One of the first metaphysicians is [[Parmenides]] of Elea. He held that the multiplicity of existing things, their changing forms and motion, are but an appearance of a single eternal reality (“Being”), thus giving rise to the Parmenidean principle that “all is one.” From this concept of Being, he went on to say that all claims of change or of non-Being are illogical. Because he introduced the method of basing claims about [[pheonomena|appearances]] on a [[logic]]al concept of Being, he is considered one of the founders of metaphysics.  

One of the first metaphysicians is [[Parmenides]] of Elea. He held that the multiplicity of existing things, their changing forms and motion, are but an appearance of a single eternal reality (“Being”), thus giving rise to the Parmenidean principle that “all is one.” From this concept of Being, he went on to say that all claims of change or of non-Being are illogical. Because he introduced the method of basing claims about [[pheonomena|appearances]] on a [[logic]]al concept of Being, he is considered one of the founders of metaphysics.  

Metaphysics is called the "first philosophy" by [[Aristotle]]. The editor of his works, Andronicus of Rhodes, is thought to have placed the books on first philosophy right after another work, ''Physics'', and called them τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικὰ βιβλία (''ta meta ta physika biblia'') or, "the books that come after the [books on] physics." This was misread by Latin scholiasts who thought it meant "the science of what is beyond the physical." ''However, once the name was given, the commentators sought to find intrinsic reasons for its appropriateness. For instance, it was understood to mean "the science of the world beyond nature", that is, the science of the immaterial. Again, it was understood to refer to the chronological or pedagogical order among our philosophical studies, so that the "metaphysical sciences would mean, those which we study after having mastered the sciences which deal with the physical world" (St. Thomas, "In Lib, Boeth. de Trin.", V, 1). In the widespread, though erroneous, use of the term in current popular literature, there is a remnant of the notion that metaphysical means ultraphysical: thus, "metaphysical healing" means healing by means of remedies which are not physical.''  In the [[English]] [[language]], the word comes by way of the Medieval [[Latin]] ''metaphysica'', the neuter plural of Medieval Greek ''metaphysika''.[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=metaphysics |title=Online Etymology Dictionary] While its Greek and Latin origins are clear, various dictionaries trace its first appearance in English to the mid-sixteenth century, although in some cases as early as 1387.[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=me |title=Unabridged Dictionary]  

Metaphysics is called the "first philosophy" by [[Aristotle]]. The editor of his works, Andronicus of Rhodes, is thought to have placed the books on first philosophy right after another work, ''Physics'', and called them τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικὰ βιβλία (''ta meta ta physika biblia'') or, "the books that come after the [books on] physics." This was misread by Latin scholiasts who thought it meant "the science of what is beyond the physical." ''However, once the name was given, the commentators sought to find intrinsic reasons for its appropriateness. For instance, it was understood to mean "the science of the world beyond nature", that is, the science of the immaterial. Again, it was understood to refer to the chronological or pedagogical order among our philosophical studies, so that the "metaphysical sciences would mean, those which we study after having mastered the sciences which deal with the physical world" (St. Thomas, "In Lib, Boeth. de Trin.", V, 1). In the widespread, though erroneous, use of the term in current popular literature, there is a remnant of the notion that metaphysical means ultraphysical: thus, "metaphysical healing" means healing by means of remedies which are not physical.''  In the [[English]] [[language]], the word comes by way of the Medieval [[Latin]] ''metaphysica'', the neuter plural of Medieval Greek ''metaphysika''.[https://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=metaphysics |title=Online Etymology Dictionary] While its Greek and Latin origins are clear, various dictionaries trace its first appearance in English to the mid-sixteenth century, although in some cases as early as 1387.[https://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=me |title=Unabridged Dictionary]  

Aristotle's ''Metaphysics'' was divided into three parts, in addition to some smaller sections related to a philosophical lexicon and some reprinted extracts from the ''Physics'', which are now regarded as the proper branches of traditional Western metaphysics:

Aristotle's ''Metaphysics'' was divided into three parts, in addition to some smaller sections related to a philosophical lexicon and some reprinted extracts from the ''Physics'', which are now regarded as the proper branches of traditional Western metaphysics:

* [[Time]]

* [[Time]]

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/LPSG/ The London Philosophy Study Guide] offers many suggestions on what to read, depending on the student's familiarity with the subject: [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/LPSG/L&M.htm Logic & Metaphysics]

* [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/LPSG/ The London Philosophy Study Guide] offers many suggestions on what to read, depending on the student's familiarity with the subject: [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/LPSG/L&M.htm Logic & Metaphysics]

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

==External links==

==External links==

* ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.'' [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/metaphysics "Metaphysics"] (by Peter van Inwagen).

* ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.'' [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/metaphysics "Metaphysics"] (by Peter van Inwagen).

* [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/a/a8m/ Aristotle's Metaphysics trans. by W. D. Ross]

* [https://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/a/a8m/ Aristotle's Metaphysics trans. by W. D. Ross]

* [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Aristot.+Met.+980a Aristotle's Metaphysics trans. by Hugh Tredennick (HTML at Perseus)]

* [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Aristot.+Met.+980a Aristotle's Metaphysics trans. by Hugh Tredennick (HTML at Perseus)]

* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-metaphysics/ Aristotle's Metaphysics at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]

* [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-metaphysics/ Aristotle's Metaphysics at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]

* [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/h/h92e/ Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Mirrored at eBooks@Adelaide]

* [https://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/h/h92e/ Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Mirrored at eBooks@Adelaide]

* [http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Philosophy/Kant/cpr E-text] (The [[Norman Kemp Smith]] translation of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason)

* [https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Philosophy/Kant/cpr E-text] (The [[Norman Kemp Smith]] translation of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason)

* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/object/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entry under OBJECT, by Henry Laycock]

* [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/object/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entry under OBJECT, by Henry Laycock]

* [http://waysofseeing.net/ Ways of Seeing - A common sense exploration of modern metaphysics]

* [https://waysofseeing.net/ Ways of Seeing - A common sense exploration of modern metaphysics]

[[Category: Philosophy]]

[[Category: Philosophy]]