Metaphysics is traditionally one of the four main branches of philosophy, alongside ethics, logic and epistemology. It is an area that continues to attract and fascinate many people, even though it is generally thought to be highly complex and abstract. For some it is associated with the mystical or religious. For others it is known through the metaphysical poets who talk of love and spirituality. This Very Short Introduction goes right to the heart of the matter, getting to the basic and most important questions of metaphysical thought in order to understand the theory: What are objects? Do colors and shapes have some form of independent existence? Is the whole just a sum of the parts? What is it for one thing to cause another rather than just being associated with it? What is possible? Does time pass? By using simple questions to initiate thought about the basic issues around substance, properties, changes, causes, possibilities, time, personal identity, nothingness, and consciousness, Stephen Mumford provides a clear and down-to-earth path through this analytical tradition at the core of philosophical thought.

传统上，形而上学是哲学的四个主要分支之一，与伦理学、逻辑学和认识论并列。它是一个继续吸引和迷住许多人的领域，尽管它通常被认为是高度复杂和抽象的。对一些人来说，它与神秘主义或宗教有关。对其他人来说，它是通过谈论爱和灵性的形而上学诗人了解的。这本《非常简短的介绍》直指问题的核心，涉及到形而上学思想的基本和最重要的问题，以便理解这一理论。什么是物体？颜色和形状是否有某种形式的独立存在？整体是否只是各部分的总和？什么是一个事物引起另一个事物，而不仅仅是与之相关联？什么是可能的？时间是否会流逝？通过使用简单的问题来启动对物质、属性、变化、原因、可能性、时间、个人身份、虚无和意识等基本问题的思考，斯蒂芬-芒福德在哲学思想核心的这一分析性传统中提供了一条清晰而朴实的道路。