Introduction to Metaphysics

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Introduction to Metaphysics

• Dr. Amir Salehi

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Overview

• What is Metaphysics?
• Purpose of metaphysical theories
• Idealism
• Materialism
• Different forms of Materialism
• Naïve Realism
• Scientific Realism
• Scientific Instrumentalism
• Dualism

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What is Metaphysics?

• Metaphysics is the study of reality
• Metaphysicists understand with the word real
  principles or concepts that are basic or
  fundamental.
• These principles are fundamental due to the fact
  that they are not only independent, but also that
  they provide a foundation for further
  explanations.
• Therefore, metaphysical theories are there to
  explain the origin of what is not real (illusion
  or appearance) based on what is real.

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Metaphysical theories

• Metaphysical theories can be classified under
  different categories
• Idealism
• Materialism
• Dualism

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Idealism (Anti-Realism)

• Idealism states that ideas with their immaterial
  nature are real and physical objects with their
  material nature are appearances.
• Some forms of Idealism defend the view of
  Anti-Realism.
• Anti-Realism asserts that the external world with
  its material nature does not exist independently
  from the mind and is therefore only an appearance

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Materialism (Realism)

• Materialism is the metaphysical view stating that
  the material / physical world is real and ideas
  are illusions.
• Materialists are known as Realists.
• Realism asserts that the material / external
  world exists independently from human thoughts
  and existence in general.
• Determinism is another view that is closely
  associated with Materialism.
• Determinists believe that in the material world
  one event occurs after another event (previous
  events are responsible for current events, and
  current events are responsible for future
  events).

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Different forms of Materialism

• Naïve Realism
• Scientific Realism

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Naïve Realism

• Physical or material objects exist the way they
  appear.
• These objects have physical characteristics such
  as color, sound, odor, shape, size, texture etc.
• These qualities are essential parts of what these
  objects are, and therefore characteristics of the
  external world.

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Scientific Realism

• Physical or material objects do not exist the way
  they appear.
• The origin of these qualities can be explained
  scientifically.
• Example Color and Sound

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Challenging Scientific Realism

• Scientific Instrumentalism questions the validity
  of scientific explanations provided by Scientific
  Realists.
• Such questioning is based on the argument that
  Scientific Realists misunderstand the nature of
  scientific knowledge and the abilities of
  sciences in general.

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Dualism

• Dualism asserts that material and immaterial
  entities are both real therefore, Dualism is
  unable to explain the origin of either of these
  two entities.
• But Dualism still faces the problem of explaining
  how Mind and Body can communicate and / or why
  there is any interaction between mind and body at
  all.

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Quiz

• 1. What is Metaphysics?
• 2. What is Idealism?
• 3. What is Materialism?
• 4. What is Naïve Realism?
• 5. What is Scientific Realism?
• 6. What is Scientific Instrumentalism?
• 7. What is Dualism?

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