TOP 9 Best Metaphysics Books in 2023

What are Metaphysics Books?

In the face of metaphysics, most people are inexperienced. This question has fascinated philosophers, scholars, and philosophy lovers for thousands of years.

Metaphysics has multiple identities. In the classroom of the history of western philosophy, metaphysics is an important branch of philosophy, a title of many of Aristotle’s philosophical works, a discipline (quasi physics, ontology), a perspective for understanding and understanding the world, a way of thinking, and a concept.

As a discipline, metaphysics is committed to exploring the boundaries of human thought and cognition.
Its name comes from Aristotle’s Metaphysics book.

What are the differences between metaphysics, science and theology?

Difference from science

Aristotle’s method of separating physics from philosophy led to the separation of metaphysics from physics, and made metaphysics continuously accept criticism from physics.

When the Renaissance produced positive philosophy, metaphysics began to be used as a philosophical form of differentiating science. From then on, philosophy was separated from the encyclopedic philosophy of ancient Greece and became metaphysics. Physics was also separated from this encyclopedic philosophy and became natural science.

Due to the continuous progress of natural science, when natural science succeeded in Newton’s physics system and later transformed the technical means of physical experiments into socially productive forces, the thought of scientific rationality was stimulated.

Difference from theology

Theology’s research objects include God, gods, moral standards, and religious classics. Theology often does not deeply study the rationality of belief itself, and theological belief assumptions often contradict scientific practice.

The metaphysical analysis method is widely used in theological research. In the philosophical framework of metaphysics, its hypothesis is also the object of research and debate.

Although its hypothesis may not be verified by scientific practice, it must not contradict scientific practice, which is different from the philosophical framework of religious theology.

The rational analysis and careful logical thinking of metaphysics have had an impact on theology.

What Metaphysics Books Concerned Today?

The part of metaphysics that explores the fundamental principles of all things in the universe focuses on: what is the origin of the world, the generation and evolution of all things in the universe, the essence of time and space, the laws of nature, whether there is a soul, the relationship between man and the universe, free will, etc.

In a word, existence, nihility, universe, soul, and free will are among the ancient metaphysical topics.

Best 9 Metaphysics Books for Beginners Recommended？

1. Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour Of Metaphysics

The metaphysical question is so profound and fascinating: “What makes me the same as I was when I was young?” “What will come, it always come?” “How is time travel possible? Can we travel against time?” “If our actions are caused, do we have free will?” “Whether there is a reverse causality, can the past be determined by the future?”

Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour Of Metaphysics enlivens this puzzle. It centers on ten major metaphysical problems, introduces the origin of each problem, compares the advantages and disadvantages of various views, explains the problems to be solved, and guides us to enter this field. At the same time, the two authors use many classic philosophical cases, thought experiments, and examples in daily life to make the narration interesting and profound. This way of writing makes this book very suitable as an introduction to metaphysics.

By thinking about this riddle, you will find that you will become more prudent, pay more attention to the core of the problem, and be able to analyze things rigorously. This will undoubtedly help you become a more rational person, a person who always keeps curious intellectually.

2. The Metaphysics (by Aristotle)

The Metaphysics is a philosophical work created by Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, in the 4th century BC.

Metaphysics has 14 volumes in total. The book discusses the object of philosophy and the scope of research. It explained some philosophical terms and analyzed and criticized the previous philosophers’ thoughts, especially Plato’s theory of ideas.

Metaphysics explains a theory, sometimes called wisdom, sometimes called “the first philosophy”. Its task is to describe the most universal and abstract features of reality, as well as universal and effective principles.

Metaphysics established Aristotle’s position in the history of philosophy. Aristotle made the term “metaphysics” a proper word rich in philosophy.

This book is the first Metaphysics Books in the world. It is a must-read classic for every beginner today.

3. Practical Metaphysics: A New Insight in Truth

This book helps us understand what life means from a deeper level of consciousness, to live a rich and real life。

Through lectures, meditation, and activities, the author brings metaphysics into reality, awakens your understanding of truth, and helps you access health, love, prosperity, and peace of mind.

Through this series of inspiring courses, improve your spiritual awareness and improve your life.

The book author Eric Butterworth, is also the author of Discover Your Inner Power, shares his profound insights into life and restates concepts in different ways so that you can more easily master them.

4.The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

How did the universe originate? What on earth is truth? How can we live a happy life? Humans have been exploring the essence of life and existence since ancient times. Many great thinkers also put forward their opinions and influenced the world with their ideas.

The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained breaks the shackles of professional terms with concise analysis, combs complex theories through clear diagrams, makes philosophy truly understood and remembered by us with the help of classic celebrity quotes, and analyzes philosophers’ thoughts one by one with witty examples and diagrams.

Whether you are a newcomer to philosophy, a student full of thirst for knowledge, or an insider with certain philosophical knowledge, you will get rich spiritual food in this book.
The book is published by the famous UK DK Publishing Company. This series takes people and events in all fields of human history as clues, comprehensively interpreting top ideas in all disciplines and is the only choice to understand the development of human civilization.

Whether you are not involved in a certain discipline, are interested in stepping into a certain field and developing in depth and breadth, or have become a professional, this set of books will give you wisdom and inspiration. Reading this set of books is like talking with the great souls in human history, which makes you all marvel and sigh.

The comprehensive content, scientific and rigorous structure, accurate and detailed interpretation, full-color printing, easy-to-read style, and exquisite illustrations, all of these books bring you a new reading experience.

They are a set of classic books of humanities and social sciences with great collection value.

5. Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction 

Metaphysics is one of the four traditional branches of philosophy, which is juxtaposed with ethics, logic, and epistemology. It is also an area that continues to attract and attract many people,

This Metaphysics Book is a brief, accurate and interesting introduction book. It not only helps to quickly understand various concepts, the nature of various problems, and the origins of various branches but also outlines the big picture of metaphysics: how it opens its mind to understand the world. Surprisingly, metaphysics has always been closely related to natural science.

This introduction goes straight to the core of the problem and touches on the basic and most important issues of metaphysical thought to understand the theory: What is an object? Do colors and shapes exist in some form? What is it that one thing leads to another, not just related to it? What are the possibilities? Has time passed?

By using these questions to trigger thinking on the issues of matter, nature, change, cause, possibility, time, personal identity, nihility, and emergence theory, Stephen Mumford provides a simple way to analyze the tradition through this core of philosophy.

6. Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy

Descartes’ Meditation on the First Philosophy is one of the most commonly used learning books in the introductory course of philosophy. It is the most widely studied work in western philosophy. 

It does not simply tell readers what to think but invites them to take a philosophical journey of their own.

The author of this book, John Cottingham, is an English philosopher. His research focuses on early modern philosophy (especially Descartes), religious and moral philosophy. 

He is an emeritus professor of philosophy at Reading University, a professor and researcher at Heythrop College, University of London, and an honorary researcher at St John’s College, Oxford University.

This book presents the complete text of Descartes’ core metaphysical masterpiece Meditation in clear and readable modern English. It provides the reader with additional materials on the subject of the abridgment of Objection and Response and provides a deeper understanding of how Descartes developed and clarified his arguments in response to critics. The author also provided an updated introduction, and a significantly revised bibliography, which took into account the latest literature and developments in Descartes’s research.

This book is an important resource for students who read Meditation, as well as students who study Descartes and early modern philosophy.

7.An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding 

An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding is a philosophical work created by British philosopher David Hume. It was first published in 1748.

The book is divided into 12 chapters. The first chapter is the preface, and the second briefly describes the basic theory. In the following chapters, a series of doubts are put forward, forming a theoretical system of skepticism.

This book reflects Hume’s philosophy. He tried hard to carry out the principle of empiricism to the end, thus ending modern British empiricism.

He carried out skepticism into all the philosophical problems he was involved in and established a relatively special and unique philosophical system in the history of western philosophy.

8.Metaphysics of Astrology: Why Astrology Works 

Metaphysics of Astrology is a fascinating book, which conveys the study of astrology and why it works.

The author Ivan Anti has clarified the relationship between a person’s birth and soul, and between the individual and the world’s sacred soul.

To understand the basic principles of astrological influences, why they exist, and how they affect us, you must be familiar with the nature of the affected, your nature.

All these are connected. Two things exist you and the universe. If you study one very carefully, you will automatically understand the other, because, based on them, they are the same.

Astronomy is the study of how the universe works. Astrology is the study of how the holographic universe affects us. It broadens our vision because it provides a comprehensive way of life.

Astrology shows us all the details of our transcendental souls trapped in our bodies and life events, as well as how we are unable to gain self-awareness. This will enable us to understand how to liberate ourselves.

Learning how to tie can untie this knot. We don’t have to know all the details. Understanding the basic principles of astrology is enough to understand the basic principles of liberation and self-knowledge. They are presented to you in summary form.

9.Being and Time

Being and Time is the representative work of German philosopher Martin Heidegger. It was written in 1926 and published the following year.

It is also one of the most important philosophical works of this century, which has not only influenced many important philosophical schools and important philosophers since then but also had a broad and profound influence in many fields such as literary criticism, sociology, theology, psychology, politics, and law.

Martin Heidegger was born in a Catholic family and studied in a church school in his early years. He was interested in the question of the meaning of existence. He studied theology for two years at the university, then turned to philosophy.

In 1913, he completed his doctoral dissertation “The Judgment Theory of Psychologism” at Freiburg University under the guidance of Lee Celt. While teaching at the University of Freiburg, he took part in the research class presided over by Husserl.

Conclusion

Metaphysics refers to the study of the essence of the world, that is, the study of all beings, and the causes and origins of all phenomena. It is called “the first philosophy” and “the first science”.

There are many Books on Metaphysics, but the ones above are the most representative. After listening to the introduction above, quickly select the books you are interested in to read.