Metaphysics

Question

Hello,I don't understand what is "metaphysics", even read the definition from Cambridge Dictionary. But I think:meta = after, behindphysics = some materialsmeta+ physics = some knowledge beyond materials =  something knowledge about philosophy, mysterious knowledge, spirits, theology, etc.If my understanding is wrong, please correct me.Thanks!metaphysics [ U ]the https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/part of https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/philosophy that is about https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/understanding https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/existence andhttps://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/knowledge

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

iclearwatermeta+ physics = some knowledge beyond materials = something knowledge about philosophy, mysterious knowledge, spirits, theology, etc.If my understanding is wrong, please correct me.

That's about it.

iclearwaterBut I think:meta = after, behindphysics = some materials

But don't always rely on Latin or Greek roots and affixes to explain the meanings of English words.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

"Meta" is a prefix that means an abstraction of or a "higher level than" the base subject.

Metadata is data about data. For example, here is some data in a two-dimensional table with 4 columns:

Sean	Coolage	10	5
Joseph	Smith	9	29
Kimberly	Jones	12	23
Marilyn	Singer	11	7
Ginger	Williams	10	2
Stephen	Moss	9	6

Can you understand the meaning of this data?

No. You need the Metadata (data about the data) to be able to understand it. Metadata is not the data itself, but "beyond" or a higher level. The metadata has one less dimension. It is a one-dimensional table (1 row, 4 columns):

The metadata for this data set is data in its own right. Here is the metadata:

Given name

Family name

Grade

Rank in grade

Metadata can have metadata, or data about the metadata This is meta-metadata and it allows us to understand the metadata. There is one less dimension:

Students enrolled in Marian High School

Metaphysics is not about physics itself, but the fundamental, abstraction of physics as a science. It goes beyond science. Wiki has a good description:

Metaphysics continues asking "why" where science leaves off. For example, any theory of fundamental physics is based on some set of axioms, which may postulate the existence of entities such as atoms, particles, forces, charges, mass, or fields. Stating such postulates is considered to be the "end" of a science theory. Metaphysics takes these postulates and explores what they mean as human concepts. For example, do all theories of physics require the existence of space and time, objects, and properties? Or can they be expressed using only objects, or only properties? Do the objects have to retain their identity over time or do they change? If they change, then are they still the same object? Can theories be reformulated by converting properties or predicates (such as "red") into entities (such as redness or redness fields). Is the distinction between objects and properties fundamental to the physical world or to our perception of it?

Metaphysics

metaphysics [ U ]

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