Upon first glance of the chapter headings, this book appears to be very basic:

• What is a table?
• What is a circle?
• What is change?
• How does time pass?
• What is possible?

Metaphysics is basic, in one sense. It is philosophical inquiry into the very nature of existence itself. Metaphysical inquiry is different from scientific inquiry in that while science is based on observation, metaphysics is based on intellectual perception. Both methods seek to understand the nature of the world, but “from different directions” (100).

The field of metaphysics is notoriously complex. It forces the reader to do mental gymnastics in an effort to understand the world. Stephen Mumford does an excellent job in this very short introduction making the complex approachable. The chapters build on each other. By the end of the book you realize that the initial question, “What is a table?” is just an entry way into a fascinating world.

If you are new to philosophy, Metaphysics is one of the four main divisions of the field (along with Epistemology, Ethics, and Logic). Mumford’s book goes along way towards demystifying this corner of the philosophical world.

Mumford, Stephen. Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.