Metaphysics, truly a so esoteric subject. The domain of mystics and quacks and apologists and all the cranks and potheads.
But is it really? As a metaphysician myself, having written a so far unpublished metaphysics booklet, let me tell you why metaphysics isn’t reducible to such stereotypes or caricatures. Let me take you on an adventure to see what metaphysics can actually do and be about. Ready? Let’s go!
While far from an uncontroversial definition, I personally define the field of metaphysics as the study of features of what is beyond the physical world that is the domain of science. As such, to me, metaphysics covers realms such as free will, consciousness, religion, what is beyond the physical universe, what permeates the physical universe that is immaterial, and so on. In essence, what is not material about reality, as science is about what is material in one way or another, while metaphysics is about what is not. For those reasons, it also is involved in other philosophical fields when it comes to objective truths, as features of reality. As such, metaphysics is conducted through reason. I have no empirical proof proving or disproving free will, but based on logic, empirical observations, and intuition, I can still prove a reasoning for why I think or do not think free will is reasonable to believe in. One could even make more absolute claims on objective truths, though I do not make those myself, a relativist unless proven otherwise.
So yes, many metaphysicians do contemplate things such as free will, consciousness, the existence of deities, and so on. But metaphysicians can do other things as well. I, for example, in my booklet, have been reasoning about the fundamental motion of existence beyond the physical world, attempting to seek empirical evidence on causation within what we observe, to extrapolate an understanding of the metaphysical world around us. I cannot really prove or disprove it, but I don’t need to, because, to me at least, value exists from thinking in such ways, and there is richness in exploring these reasonings.
Now, I’m not going to make you believe that metaphysics is useful, that is up to you entirely. I believe it to be useful in contemplating and reasoning the reality beyond what is material, but it is absolutely valid to think otherwise. All I have wanted to say is that metaphysics is more than quackery, agree with what it is doing or not, and think it is useful or not. Now it is up to you to form your own opinion, do your own research, and your own critical thinking.
Aku L. T. Jutila – [email protected]
The Edsel Letter