Reality in Philosophy - Essay Example

Reality in philosophy The study of what goes beyond physics and is not bound to change The of metaphysics is hard to define. Metaphysics is the study of what goes beyond physics. A study devoted to the matters that transcend the concerns of human nature that tries to combine science, wisdom and technology in explaining, that which is beyond human nature. The term is coined from Aristotle’s work. The probable meaning of the term is that the things that do not change that are beyond the study of physics. At one instance, the subject matter of the first philosophy in metaphysics is considered as “being as such” and in another the “first causes” things that do not change. The subject matter of metaphysics is considered as “being as such’ referring to that which cannot be changed. It also includes to the first two causes of things that will never change.1 This is the thesis of metaphysics and is considered the defensible statements of the subject matter of the so-called physics. Metaphysics seeks to explain the relationship of the body and the mind and the freedom of will as well the personality identity over time. In the explanation of the relationship between the body, mind and freedom of will, it denies that there are first causes that cause the relationship to change. However, the body, mind and freedom of free will are beyond that which is bound in the study of physics. Such kind of denial is certainly a metaphysical thesis in the current sense that the relationship is bound to change. In reality, everything changes and nothing that does not change. However, other philosophers explain that, a special group of things that ought not to change i.e. how the body and the mind functions will never change. Examples of subjects and statements that are considered metaphysical include “Essence precedes existence, existence in reality is larger and greater than in the understanding alone” and “being is logic not a real predicate. ‘ such kinds of subjects are beyond the physical world and are bound not to be victims of change.2 Reality of change and metaphysics The concept metaphysics is coined from the Greek word meaning beyond i.e. study of that which is unknown beyond physics. The prefix “meta” means beyond indicating that the scope will come after the chapters of physics. The subject is also referred to the chronological order among the philosophical studies. For example, what is studied after mastery of the science concepts that ought to deal with the physical world and cannot be changed? As a discipline, metaphysics is a central part of academic inquiry of facts that are beyond the physical world as well as scholarly education even before the existence of Aristotle. It is a unique science and the physical elements are considered less important than other main formal subjects of mathematics, physical science music and poetics. However, the modern philosophy needs to include science religion, perception and language in the scope. Language will never change and is beyond the physical science explanation, so applies to perception and religion. The nature of the human being is a perennial problem in metaphysics. Reality is a single unchanging being. An ontological catalogue attempts to list the fundamental principles and constituents of reality. In a study of metaphysics, existence is not a predictable event. However, in the real world it is possible to predict the existence.3 It can be possible to predict when a child is to be born using scientific bases and if a certain morphological condition will result to death. Human beings are bound to change, the reality will as change if proven using facts. Existence is a concept that is usually contrasted with essence and tries to question what is happening. Reflections regarding the nature as well as connections and difference between existence and essence can be considered to date back to Aristotle’s metaphysics. A branch of metaphysics cosmology deals with the world as a totality of all beings and phenomena in time as well as space. The world is considered as a phenomenon that is bound not to change. However, the universe is changing due to environmental degradation by man causing such changes as in the ozone layer destruction. Man has made it possible to modify the universe; therefore, the scope of metaphysics is disputable. Cosmology has a large scope and many of its cases are found in religion.4 In the recent times, it tries to address questions about the universe that are beyond the scope of physical science knowledge. The study of metaphysical cosmology does not support the origin of the universe with appropriate evidences thus raising arguments. It tries to investigate the ultimate material components of the universe as well as the existence of the universe, which are changing and as well bound to change with modifications by man.5 What is the Nature and place of the mind? Consciousness is the quality or the state of self-awareness as well as the state of being aware of something within oneself. It is the science of awareness and the ability to wakefulness and to have a sense of selfhood to control the mind. The consciousness includes the ability if having perceptions, feeling, thoughts and awareness of the happenings. However, the term is difficult to define except in the terms that are unintelligible without understanding what consciousness means. However, the nature of the mind has been confused repeatedly with self- consciousness. In reality to be conscious means self-awareness of the external world. It is a fascinating phenomenon as well as an exclusive phenomenon that is impossible to specify what it entails or what is involved. Philosophers of the consciousness have been concerned in defending the particular point of view. Self-consciousness can be interchanged with consciousness as the two concepts refer to the ability of self-awareness of an individual. Consciousness fits into the conception of the natural world. The most common conception of nature is the physical world, but it is not easy to see how consciousness could be part of the physical world. To find out the place of the mind in the natural order, it is important to revise the conception of consciousness, as well as that of nature. The state of the mind can be viewed in three perceptions. That in which, mentality is an emergent characteristic of a physical, neutral substance or substance where the physical can be either emergent or delusive. The phenomenon of the mind is the phenomena of the consciousness of self-awareness. Locating the mind with respect to the physical world is difficult. Self-awareness is difficult to determine in philosophy. However, awareness of change can easily be determined and measured.6 Hume David proposed existence of two types of consciousness i.e. p-consciousness and A-consciousness describing the state of the mind as simply raw experiences. A-consciousness refers to a phenomenon where the information in the mind is accessible for verbal report, control and reasoning of behavior. However, Descartes argued that there are eight distinct types of consciousness namely organism consciousness, control, event, subjective consciousness, self-consciousness and introspective consciousness. Experience is considered as the essence of the consciousness and the experience can only be known from the inside. However, the experience can be measured and determined. The nature of the mind is subjective and cannot be known from the outside.7 The vast majority of people believe that other individuals are conscious but will not consider this to earthly objects. This is the problems of the mind as the people attributes consciousness to other people because they see the resemblance in behavior and appearance. Therefore, if they look and behave like other individuals their experiences ought to be similar and resemble. The major problem of the consciousness is the problem of experience. Human beings ought to have subjective experiences. Being is conscious when there is something similar to be that being. A mental state is described to be conscious when there is something indicating how it is like to be in the state. This is the only ultimate method of determining the consciousness of the mind. The conscious state ought to include a state of perceptual experiences, mental imagery, bodily sensation and thoughts that occur. There is smoothing that forms in the mind with phenomenal character and properties when confronted with phenomena that characterize what and how it is like to be in that phenomenon, in the mind. Experiences are thus closely associated with the physical properties and processes in the brain system. However, some of the experiences are not associated with the mind.8 Neural and computational mechanisms play the role of explaining the performance of cognitive functions in the mind. A solution to hard problem faced by an individual ought to involve an account of the relationship between the physical processes and the consciousness when getting a solution to the problem. This explains the basis of the natural principles and the reason as to why the physical processes are associated with states of experience. The reductive explanation of the consciousness ought to explain this wholly based on the physical principles that do not make any appeal to consciousness. The physical process in the mind gives rise to experience. Thus, producing a physical system that has the right physical properties will yield corresponding states of experience. This can be explained well in conditioning experiences. References Descartes, R. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy 4th, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing 1998 Hume, D. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2nd Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1993. Logan, B. & Kant, I.,. Immanuel Kant’s Prolegomena to any future metaphysics in focus, New York: Routledge 1996 Read More