—or metafísica in Spanish and Portuguese—is the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, encompassing the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, and possibility and necessity. Often called "first philosophy," it seeks to answer the most basic questions about existence: What is there, and what is it like?. Etymology and Origins
Focuses on the origins, structure, and laws of the universe as a whole.
The study of being and existence. It asks what types of things exist (e.g., physical objects, numbers, souls) and how they can be categorized.
The term originates from the Greek metá ("after" or "beyond") and physiká ("physical"). Historically, the name was coined not by Aristotle himself, but likely by an editor (possibly Andronicus of Rhodes) who placed Aristotle’s treatises on the nature of being "after" his works on Physics . While it literally meant "the books after the physics," it evolved into a label for studies that go beyond the physical realm into the abstract foundations of reality. Major Branches of Metaphysics
Examines the "first principles" that underlie all other reasoning, such as the law of non-contradiction. Key Concepts and Debates
