HISTORY OF METAPHYSICS

The concept metaphysics originates from the Greek words τά µετά τά φυσιxά, which is the name of a
work by Aristotle. There is a traditional explanation of this name which has been universally accepted.
The main work of Aristotle which has come to be called metaphysica, or more strictly speaking the
essential part of that work, was called by Aristotle himself πρώτη φιλoσoφία, ϑεoλoγιxή, or merely
σoφία. The title “metaphysics” originated later, viz. when Andronicus of Rhodes, a Peripatetic in the first
century B.C., published the complete works of Aristotle, and placed this book after physical treatises ;
the books beyond the physics. Originally it was not a complete work written continuously but was made
up of several lectures delivered in different periods, and the author did not give it a definite title.
Andronicus, therefore, embarrassed at the lack of a suitable title, called it τά µετά τά φυσιxά, which
means the books placed after physical treatises; hence came the word metaphysics. Now, as the word
µετά may also mean trans, the term metaphysics might have come to mean the science concerned with
transcendent reality or intelligible being, and so by chance suited the content of the first philosophy.

According to Reimer, Eudemus, Aristotle’s immediate disciple, the author of the History of Theology,
and the first editor of his teacher’s works, must have invented the name ‘ta + meta + ta + phusika’.
When Eudemus edited the works, the science, which from a Platonic standpoint Aristotle called the ‘first
philosophy’, was attached to other relevant treatises, and was given this title. Andronicus followed
Eudemus and preferred the same name because he too considered the original name ‘first philosophy’,
to be unsuitable for educational purpose. Hence, Reimer concludes that we must reject the hypothesis
of the accidental bibliographical origin of the term since it was a deliberate use for educational purpose.

Despite debates surrounding the term's origin, metaphysics is understood as 'the science of being as
being.' Traditionally, science implies certain and evident knowledge derived from causes or a systematic
understanding. Metaphysics seeks the primary efficient cause and ultimate final cause of all existence.
Its reasoning relies solely on essential characteristics, recognizing that the being of any tangible entity
necessarily depends on a prior efficient cause – the ultimate subsistent Being. Consequently,
metaphysical reasoning diverges from empirical sciences, focusing on inherent necessities rather than
accidental properties of tangible things.

Aristotle frequently employed the term 'First Philosophy' in his work, Metaphysics. Notably, 'First
Philosophy' was one of the titles Aristotle assigned to this treatise, which is now commonly known as
Aristotle's Metaphysics. Other designations used by Aristotle include, Theology: Emphasizing the study
of divine beings and the nature of God. Wisdom (Sophia): Highlighting the pursuit of fundamental
knowledge and understanding. First Science: Indicating its foundational status among all sciences. The
term metaphysics has other names like science of being and ontology.

This name ontology, only came into existence in the 17th century and was popularized by the writings of
Christian Wolff (1679-1754). It subsequently became an alternative name to describe the study of being
when positivist thinkers began to jettison the term ‘metaphysics’ in the 19th and 20th century. Neither
Aristotle nor Andronicus used such a term. However, it is a name derived from the Greek words: in
Greek, the verbal noun ‘being’ is το ον [to on] and the Greek word for the ‘study’ is λογος, hence the
‘study (logos) of being (to on)’ gives the word ‘ontology’. At some point in the history of philosophy,
particularly in the late modern age, there is made a conventional distinction between ontology as the
study of the essential principles of being and metaphysics as the study of the existential principles of
being. This distinction, as indicative as it could be, might sometimes be deceptive given that metaphysics
also investigates essence or nature of beings as much as it does existence of beings. This is because
essence and existence are co-constituents of real beings such that their distinctions can only be made
logically rather than realistically.

The definition of metaphysics as science of being could be seen as a study of being in its absolute sense.
Here the challenge is to discover what constitutes being; the essence of being. This challenge rests on
the fact that things are not exactly as they appear or as we perceive them with our senses. Unlike in the
other definition where metaphysics studies the first causes or principles, which in the final analysis is
God, the object of metaphysics as being qua being is all reality, that is everything that exists. Nothing is
outside of it including God. And this gives metaphysics its reputation as a universal science. Thus, when
you say that a person is a child, metaphysics wants to know what childhood consists. If you say that you
are good, it also wants to know what goodness means. Metaphysics does this by deciphering what
properties or characters its subject matters have that make them what they are. It establishes the
commonalities between a subject and other subjects as well as the differences between it and others.
Based on this, philosophers hold that it is the duty of metaphysics to provide us with the map of all that
exists. Metaphysics, understood as this is regarded as ontology, a theory of being.
REFERENCES

 Ando, T. (1963). The Origin of the Concept of Metaphysics. In: Metaphysics. Springer, Dordrecht.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-0760-8_2
 Loux, M. J. (2006). Metaphysics: A contemporary introduction. Routledge.
 Father Konye(2024) lecture notes on Metaphysics, Owerri.