Metaphysics Mind Map

Thomas Aquinas

Philosopher

Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential theologists when trying to prove the existence of God. He came up with the five proofs of God’s existence. The first three are called the Cosmological Arguments by the Roman Catholic Church. These five proofs are; God, the Prime Mover, God, the First Cause, God, the Necessary Being, God, the Absolute Being, and God, the Grand Designer. An example of one of his arguments, the Prime Mover. This has to deal with the cause and effect relationship with everything that happens in the world and Aquinas says that there must be an initial cause which is God.

Religion and Spirituality

Religion and Spirituality

Metaphysics asks about Theism and Deism, asking if there is one divine being that directly intervenes in the world or a first cause or is there a god, or none at all

Every religion believes something different. Many religions are on that basis that one believes in a higher power or something bigger than themselves. There could be a god or none at all, religion dictates this. For example if you are catholic you believe in one god, or if you believe in atheism, which is no God at all.

Necessity and Possibility

Necessity and Possibility

A necessary fact, is one that is true across all possible world and a possible fact is one that is true in some possible world. It could be possible that God exists or some higher being does, but no one knows if it's necessary although some people think it is. Something that could ring true in your experience could be possible for you, such as the existence of God.

Cosmology and Cosmogony

Cosmology and Cosmogony

Cosmogony studies the universe and the explanation of how the universe began. Cosmology deals with the same thing, but focuses on the present and future of the universe as well. The questions surrounding this abstract are beyond science and cosmology and cosmogony us understand our place in the universe. Looking at cosmogony specifically can put you on the path to answering if God exists because some believe that the universe was created by a God or higher power.

Real World Example

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpaymentproof2020.blogspot.com%2F2001%2F03%2Fproof-that-god-is-real-meme.html&psig=AOvVaw3Uq5JVectDu-wMNQi6OBFD&ust=1635795227989000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLibxqKy9fMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAg

Rene Descartes

Philosopher

Rene Descartes was a 17th century philosopher who believed that even thinking about your consciousness is a sign that your mind is separate from your body. Descartes said the famous quote “I think therefore I am”. He said that consciousness is irrefutable because it is observed from within.

Real World

Example

https://media.makeameme.org/created/your-consciousness-is.jpg

Existence and Consciousness

Existence and Consciousness

Consciousness is how we perceive existing things. You can’t deny that your mind exists although you are using your mind to justify that same fact. In your eyes there is something rather than nothing but that is just your perception your world. There could be nothing there. Without anything existing, you could not have consciousness because consciousness itself would not exist.

Mind and Matter

Mind and Matter

This abstract asks important questions such as if your mind is not physical, how does it have effects on your physical world? This relates back to consciousness because if consciousness isn't physical, how can you be conscious. Dualism is a philosophy that relates to mind and matter as it is two opposing principles.

Objects and Their Properties

Objects and Their Properties

This is the study of individual things which can be physical objects or abstracts such as sadness or an emotion. These things both have properties or universals. Metaphysical theorists are interested in the relationship between both. Looking at this abstract can help answer the question of what consciousness is because you look at determining the properties of consciousness. You can also look at humans as objects, and determine the relationship between us and the property of being conscious.

Baruch Spinoza

Philosopher

Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher who looked at topics of self and the universe. Spinoza did not believe in free will because he thought that it did not line up with God’s nature. He states that those who believe in free will are wrong because the body doesn’t move unless the mind is active and humans don’t know the cause of their own behavior.

Real World Example

https://pics.me.me/thumb_gave-you-free-will-souseit-exactly-as-command-you-to-42374550.png

Necessity and Possibility

Necessity and Possibility

Having things be necessary can make people believe they do not have free will if they think they need to do things. If someone thinks that anything is possible and there are limitless opportunities, they could believe in the idea of free will.

Religion and Spirituality

Religion and Spirituality

Some people who believe in certain religions believe that we are on a path that God chooses for us or that we are to live in their will. Depending on what way you see spirituality or practice religion it can determine whether you believe in free will or not.

Determinism and Free Will

Determinism and Free Will

Determinism is every event in your life including your thoughts, actions, and decisions are already. chosen for you by a chain of unbroken events prior

Free will is the opposite of determinism and that we choose what we do. To answer this question, do we have free will, you can use these two theories depending on which way you view life

Another path some people believe in is compatibility which is that there is some preset course that life takes us on that is already set, but we can choose which path to take and we make our own choices. This is sort of like fate in how life can present us with opportunities but we chose how to react.

Metaphysics In the Real World

I believe that answers based on your own ideas can still satisfy your personal questions. Since the questions you're answering have to deal with your beliefs about life, not having hard evidence can help you figure out the answer that is true to you. Some questions are unprovable because they defy the laws of science and have been looked at for centuries. Although questions can be answered through your own experiences and thoughts, I believe for life's unanswered questions will never be able to have one true answer. Since there is no one right answer to any of these questions, it is important you find one that works for you and one that you believe in.

One abstract that manifests itself in the real world that stands out is religion and spirituality. It seems to be a uniting or dividing factor for people all around the world. Many people base their beliefs or lives on religion or spirituality and it can have an affect on you and those around you. It depends what type of person you are to talk about abstractions. For example. Important philosophical conversations can be sparked when people share their doubts and hopes about these abstract concepts. I don’t believe it's common for people to have conversations about these things. I think some people can get uncomfortable when talking about things like religion or free will because the unknown scares people.

Manifestations In Real World

Metaphysical Environments

People are more likely to engage or inquire about metaphysical topics when they are in a religious setting. In this environment you are talking about a God which already raises the first question of “Is there a God?”. Talking about religion and spirituality can raise other questions about yourself because if your family and friends are religious, it could influence your beliefs and make you question them. Another situation where conversations surrounding metaphysics can arise could be when deciding what to do with your life and when you get older and begin to make your own decisions. You start to talk with people about what they think about their life as you learn who you really are and what you believe your place in the universe is.

Metaphysical Experience Follow Up

In my opinion, they don’t require experience in terms of education but they require life experience. I don’t think you could talk about what the meaning of life is without experiencing the world and seeing what it has to offer. I’m not saying you need to travel everywhere, just that you need to have a base idea of what you think. The reason why I believe you don’t need much experience is because you can learn from other people about philosophy and their ideas. If you don’t have any ideas at all, you could get lost in the conversion and not be able to participate as much, but you can definitely learn just by listening and asking questions.

Meaning of Life

Personal experience and interests are, in my opinion, direct people down a certain path. Doing things that you enjoy makes you happy and these things are different for everyone. For example, I love theater and am trying to pursue it by applying to theater programs in university. This love and passion has directed me for my post-secondary decisions. Our morals and beliefs also direct us in life to make good and meaningful choices. The meaning of life is something most of us search for, but I don’t believe it is necessary to have a fulfilling life. You can not have an ultimate goal or meaning to life, but still do things that have meaning to you and bring you joy in life.

References

References

Cosmology and cosmogony. cosmologyandcosmogony. (n.d.).

Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://cs.lmu.edu/~ray/notes/cosmologyandcosmogony/.

Lee, A. C. (2006). Baruch Spinoza "Human Beings are

Determined" . Baruch Spinoza, "human beings are determined". Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/spinoza.shtml.

Morgan, J. (2018, February 26). The Hard Problem of

Consciousness: Understanding our Reality. The Lancet. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(18)30080-2/fulltext.

Thomas Aquinas and The Five Ways. (n.d.). Retrieved November

1, 2021, from https://home.csulb.edu/~cwallis/100/st2.html.

~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology. (2021, July

14). Possibility and necessity: An introduction to modality. 1000. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/12/08/possibility-and-necessity-an-introduction-to-modality/.