Historical Dictionary of Metaphysics [Hardcover]

Metaphysics is what Aristotle described as the First Philosophy or first science, a comprehensive inquiry into the ultimate nature of reality. As such, metaphysics consists of a systematic study of the more general categories of being and of the more general ways of relating entities.

TheHistorical Dictionary of Metaphysicsfocuses on metaphysics in Western philosophy, the metaphysical tradition that developed under the influence of Greek philosophy, and especially Plato and Aristotle. It offers a comprehensive guide to the many facets of metaphysics through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on concepts, people, works, and technical terms. This volume is an invaluable resource for student and scholar alike.

Gary S. Rosenkrantzis professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Joshua Hoffmanis professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Rosenkrantz and Hoffman (both, philosophy, Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro) have written a volume on metaphysics in the Western tradition as developed under the influence of Greek philosophers. The text offers over 300 cross-referenced entries, in alphabetical order and of varying lengths, on metaphysicians from Thales of Miletus (c. 6250-545 B.C.E.) to Harty H. Field (b. 1956); key concepts like free will, God, personal identity, and the mind-body problem; and areas of thought including idealism, essentialism, and deism. Also included are a chronology, an excellent introduction, a list of symbols, and a bibliography. The editors know their subject matter and provide clear and understandable entries. Library Journal

Metaphysics is one of the major branches of Western philosophy, having survived in one form or another from the pre-Socratics of ancient Greece to Anglo-American philosophers of the present. Beyond thatl#