Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and body, between substance and attribute, and between potentiality and actuality. The word "metaphysics" comes from two Greek words that, together, literally mean ‘meta’ after and ‘Physika’ nature. It was coined by Andronicus of Rhodes the editor of Aristotle’s works around 70ad. Aristotle had some treatises on physics which bore the title Physics. He had other treatises dealing with non- physical matters but without a title. Andronicus organised those works which had no title and called them ‘after physics’ , meta physika. Which was later came to be understood as ‘beyond physics’. However, this understanding is not accurate because it is not only realities that are beyond the physical world that metaphysics deals with, rather it studies the totality of being, that is, the nature and structure of reality as a a whole. The central idea is to give comprehensive account of the whole of reality, it’s nature, it’s structure, and the place of man in the universe as well as in the totality of reality.
- Lecturer : Franklin Eze