Classical Metaphysics

A study of “first philosophy,” this course inquires into the nature of being, considered as such. It addresses such concerns as the legitimacy of metaphysics and its distinction from natural philosophy, the nature of substance and of causality, and the possibility of knowing the first cause of all things. A careful examination of Aristotle’s Metaphysics will be central to this endeavor, and after such examination Aristotle will be brought into dialogue with his medieval interpreters (e.g., Aquinas) and his more contemporary readers (e.g.,Heidegger).