Metaphysics is the study of fundamental questions about the constitution of the world, ourselves, and our relation to the world. In this subject we will explore such questions as the nature of modality, that is, the notions of possibility and necessity. We will also examine the ideas of space and time, their relation to each other and to material reality, and whether time travel might be possible. This will then lead to the problem of the nature of material reality and problems concerning particularity and universality. From here we will turn to the problem of the relation of the mental to the material, the nature of consciousness, and the problem of personal identity. The subject will end with a consideration of the problem of whether we have free will or whether our choices are merely pre-determined events in an endless causal chain.

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Readings