In every age, human beings try to order their
thinking about the question, what is ultimately real? How do we explain what the world consists
of? You might say, this is a question about what
are the deep down causes of things. And the investigation is traditionally called,
metaphysics. It's an odd title, but it's not a difficult
idea to understand. Metaphysics is just the study of the science of being, of that which
exists, in so far as it exists. You might say that metaphysics is a structured
way of thinking about the most fundamental explanations of the world, that we encounter. When Aquinas defines metaphysics, he says
that its object of study is the causes of existence in things. Why do things exist? In metaphysics we consider
the beings of this world, their natures, their properties, material constitution, the
changes they're submitted to, their contingency, their relations that obtain within and among
them, and we consider why various things exist from every angle. Do you and I exist because of our material
bodies? Or do we exist because we have living souls? Do we exist because we were begotten by our
parents? Or do we exist due to the dependence we have
on the larger physical cosmos? Or do we exist because of the creation of
God's sustaining all things and being? Or is it due to all of the above, but in a
given order? And if so, how do we order those explanations? That gives you an idea of the overview. But what about the basic starting points? When beginning to consider what being is,
St. Thomas identifies certain fundamental distinctions we should make. First, we can discern the differences that
obtain between different kinds of natural substances around us. How are they distinguished from one another? A human being, for example, is very different
from a kangaroo. We distinguish them by their different properties,
which we can analyze philosophically. Both are animals and mammals, and have complex
sense organs. So they're living things, they're sentient
living things, and they have all kinds of mobile properties that are similar. But human beings are rational animals who
think, make decisions, use language and tools, while kangaroos do not do any of those things. Now, other properties they do sort of share
but also are distinguished by just at the level of animality. So for example, kangaroos nurture their young
in a pouch after birth, but human beings do not. So these kinds of properties reveal characteristics
of the various natures of things, and they tell us something about what those things
are, their essences, and therefore why they exist, or how they exist. This is a first kind of way of proceeding
into metaphysics. We can study the distinctions of the various
substances we encounter, and their properties philosophically. But having distinguished substances, we can
then go on to consider what unites them, or what they all have in common. What is it that's properly basic or common
to all kinds of beings no matter how different they are? We might talk about dimensions of being that
are common to human beings, kangaroos, trees, stars, stones, and artifacts. So here's where we enter into the study of
what Aquinas calls the transcendentals, being unity, truth, goodness, and beauty. Everything that exists has being in some way,
and is unified, true, or intelligible, good and thus desirable or pleasing, and beautiful. It has a certain kind of splendor or harmony
to it. At this point we can begin asking more ultimate
questions. Is this world of interdependent beings that we experience one reality or multiple
realities that form a kind of unity? Is the cosmos that exists around us and the
things that are in it good in some objective sense? And if so, are there degrees and kinds of
goodness in the things around us? And if so, what is evil and how do we explain
the existence of evil? Meanwhile, what is beauty and is it merely
subjective, or are the things of this world truly beautiful due to the harmonies internal
to them, and the order within them? Does the world of finite interdependent beings
ultimately depend upon a primary cause we call God, who gives being to all things? And if so, how do being and unity, goodness,
and beauty, and truth, all relate back to God as the cause of everything that exists? For Aquinas, metaphysicians endeavor to study
the things of this world by an honest and critical appraisal. And in so doing, they're led to consider reality
in relation to God as the cause of existence for everything that is. When you've begun thinking about the kinds of
questions I've just raised, you're doing metaphysics, you've arrived, or you've started. And St. Thomas is a great guide for this kind
of study. For readings, podcasts, and more videos like
this go to Aquinas101.com. While you're there, be sure to sign up for
one of our free video courses on Aquinas. And don't forget to like and share with your
friends, because it matters what you think.
