What is Metaphysics?: Introduction the Essence of Ground: Prologue

Abstract

Six years had passed since the fourth edition of WM (1943) had given in the Epilogue the first full sketch of foundational thought as the process of overcoming metaphysics. The passage of time brought demand for a fifth edition, and this offered another significant improvement in the form of an Introduction, which dealt with the nature of metaphysics that was to be overcome. What specifically does it tell us? In general terms, we may say that it not only tries to explain once more the meaning of metaphysics and the means of overcoming it but also reviews the bold lines of SZ, in order to emphasize the fact that this first work, and by implication WM, which, all commentators agree, profoundly concords with it, was uniquely concerned with this problem. The first of these themes served as the basis for the introductory chapter to this study. The second, along with whatever oblique references are made to thought, we incorporated into the study of HB. There remains, then, practically nothing left to say.