Metafisica -

One of the most famous references to this term in Italian culture is found in the concluding canto of Dante Alighieri's Divina Comedy (Paradiso, Canto XXXIII).

"A l'alta fantasia qui mancò possa; ma già volgeva il mio disio e 'l velle, sì come rota ch'igualmente è mossa, l'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle."*

(The high fantasy here lost its power; but already my desire and will were turned, like a wheel that is evenly moved, by the Love which moves the sun and the other stars.)

In this context, Dante is attempting to describe the Metafisica of God—the ultimate reality and cause of all motion—which transcends human imagination and language.

If you were looking for the Wikipedia-style introduction to the subject in Italian:

La Metafisica è quella branca della filosofia che, andando oltre gli elementi particolari della realtà fisica, si occupa dello studio dei principi primi e dei fondamenti della realtà stessa. Essa indaga le proprietà fondamentali di tutto ciò che esiste, ponendo domande sull'essere, sul nulla, sulla mente, sulla materia e sull'esistenza di Dio. Tradizionalmente, viene definita come lo studio dell'essere in quanto essere.

This Italian art movement, founded by Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carrà, focuses on dreamlike imagery and eerie stillness. Giorgio de Chirico: The Neo-Metafisica

: This paper explores the "eternal return" and the continuous evolution of de Chirico's work. It is available on ResearchGate Fisica e Metafisica?

: A study on the intersection of science and art during the time of de Chirico and Carrà. Access the full text via ResearchGate Reflections on Arte Metafisica Metafisica

: An analytical piece published in The Art Bulletin regarding the enigmas of de Chirico's style. View the abstract at Taylor & Francis Online The Origin of Metaphysical Painting

: An essay discussing the disputes over who invented the movement. Read more at the Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico. 🏛️ Philosophy (Metaphysics)

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, including existence, time, and space. Giornale di Metafisica

: A scholarly journal providing deep dives into ontological questions and the coordination between metaphysics and ethics. Explore the journal’s abstracts at Editrice Morcelliana Introduction to Christian Metaphysics

: A lectio magistrale defining metaphysics as "vertical, ascending knowledge" of the hyper-rational. Available via Metafysikos Metaphysics - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

: A comprehensive overview of the field's history and current status. Accessible through the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

📍 Key Distinction:If you are looking for Giorgio de Chirico's specific aesthetic, search for "Metaphysical Art." If you are researching Aristotle or the nature of Being, search for "Philosophy of Metaphysics." Metaphysics

Metaphysics—or metafísica in Spanish and Portuguese—is the branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, encompassing the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, and possibility and necessity. Often called "first philosophy," it seeks to answer the most basic questions about existence: What is there, and what is it like?. Etymology and Origins One of the most famous references to this

The term originates from the Greek metá ("after" or "beyond") and physiká ("physical"). Historically, the name was coined not by Aristotle himself, but likely by an editor (possibly Andronicus of Rhodes) who placed Aristotle’s treatises on the nature of being "after" his works on Physics. While it literally meant "the books after the physics," it evolved into a label for studies that go beyond the physical realm into the abstract foundations of reality. Major Branches of Metaphysics

Traditional metaphysical inquiry is often divided into several core categories:

Ontology: The study of being and existence. It asks what types of things exist (e.g., physical objects, numbers, souls) and how they can be categorized.

Cosmology: Focuses on the origins, structure, and laws of the universe as a whole.

Natural Theology: The study of God or the divine through reason rather than revelation, exploring the existence and nature of a supreme being.

Universal Science: Examines the "first principles" that underlie all other reasoning, such as the law of non-contradiction. Key Concepts and Debates

Metaphysical thought is defined by several recurring "problems" that have occupied thinkers for millennia:

In the Italian philosophical tradition, Metafisica covers three main areas: "A l'alta fantasia qui mancò possa; ma già

Today, Metafisica is experiencing a vibrant renaissance. Three unexpected allies have revived it.

While metaphysics is a global discipline, the Italian peninsula has played a pivotal role in its transmission and evolution.

The Scholastic Peak: The Dominican priest Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) produced perhaps the most rigorous metaphysical system in Western history. His actus et potentia (actuality and potentiality) framework explained how change is possible without falling into logical contradiction. For Aquinas, metaphysics was not a flight from reality but the deepest engagement with it—seeing God as Ipsum Esse Subsistens (the very act of existing itself).

The Idealist Revolution: In the 19th century, thinkers like Giovanni Gentile radicalized metaphysics. His concept of attualismo (Actual Idealism) argued that pure, dynamic thought is the only reality. There is no static “nature” outside of the act of thinking it. For Gentile, which influenced Fascist intellectuals as well as later existentialists, metaphysics became the history of philosophy itself.

The Traditionalist School: In the 20th century, Julius Evola—despite his political controversies—wrote extensively on a metaphysical “Traditionalism.” Drawing from Guénon and Eastern texts (Advaita Vedanta, Tantra), Evola argued for the existence of a Regno dell’Essere (Realm of Being) beyond temporal history. He contrasted the modern world’s chaotic “becoming” with the ancient world’s stable “being.”

In the early 20th century, a group of philosophers known as the Vienna Circle launched the most aggressive attack on Metafisica. They proposed the Verification Principle: a statement is meaningful only if it can be empirically verified (proven true by sensory experience) or is a tautology (like math or logic).

Under this principle, metaphysical statements like "The soul is immortal" or "Being precedes essence" are not false—they are nonsense. They have no truth value. They are as meaningless as "The green idea sleeps furiously."

For a few decades, metaphysics was declared clinically dead. But as the philosopher A.J. Ayer later admitted, the verification principle itself could not be empirically verified. The critics had committed suicide by their own logic.