Scott Harrison: Metaphysics

Metaphysics

      The term metaphysics has multiple meanings in philosophy, the two primary ones being:

1. That part of traditional philosophy which is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and "existence".
2. Philosophical views which are non-dialectical, or in other words, views which do not approach things in a dialectical way. (This is the most common sense of the term within Marxist philosophy.)

      In any of its senses, metaphysics has a very bad reputation for being obscure, confused, or even gibberish. This has led to much appropriate hostility to metaphysics, as evidenced in the following extract from Lord Byron:

And Coleridge.... Explaining metaphysics to the nation— I wish he would explain his Explanation. —Byron, dedicated to "Don Juan"

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