Metafyziky

Metafyziky refers to the philosophical discipline commonly known in English as metaphysics, the study of the fundamental nature of reality and existence. The term originates from the Greek words “metá” meaning beyond or after, and “phýsi” meaning nature. It has been a central field in Western philosophy since the pre‑Socratic thinkers of ancient Greece, who questioned not only the physical world but also the underlying principles that make it possible. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle each offered distinct metaphysical frameworks, from the theory of Forms to the concept of substance and causality.

During the medieval period, metaphysical inquiry was integrated with theology, most notably within Scholasticism, where philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas sought to reconcile Aristotelian thought with Christian doctrine. The modern era brought a shift toward analytic philosophy, with figures like Immanuel Kant redefining metaphysics as the study of the a priori conditions of experience, and later Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein arguing for a linguistic analysis that could dissolve many metaphysical problems.

In contemporary philosophy, metaphysics is often divided into ontology, which deals with the categories of being; epistemology, concerning the limits of knowledge regarding metaphysical claims; and the metaphysics of science, which examines the assumptions underlying scientific theories. The field continues to influence areas such as cognitive science, physics, and artificial intelligence, as scholars investigate the nature of consciousness, time, and the possible existence of multiple universes. Though metaphysics has faced criticism for its abstract nature, it remains a vital inquiry into the deepest questions about reality.