Metaphysics

Structure and Organization

Aristotle's «Metaphysics» consists of fourteen books, traditionally designated by Greek letters from Alpha to Nu. Each of these books addresses different aspects of philosophy and metaphysics. The first book, Alpha, introduces the main themes and questions, such as the nature of being and essence. The second book, Little Alpha, deals with issues related to knowledge. The third book, Beta, discusses aporiai or philosophical puzzles. The fourth book, Gamma, establishes metaphysics as first philosophy and explores the principles of contradiction. The fifth book, Delta, serves as a sort of dictionary of philosophical terms. The sixth book, Epsilon, examines the nature and types of essence. The seventh and eighth books, Zeta and Eta, delve into the analysis of essence and substance. The ninth book, Theta, is dedicated to potentiality and actuality. The tenth book, Iota, considers unity and plurality. The eleventh book, Kappa, repeats and develops some themes from previous books. The twelfth book, Lambda, discusses the divine and the unmoved mover. The thirteenth and fourteenth books, Mu and Nu, explore mathematical essences and their relation to reality. Each book is a relatively independent study, but they are all connected by the common goal of studying the primary causes and principles of being.