Metaphysics is the fundamental field in philosophy. Nearly every philosophical problem is ultimately a metaphysical problem or is intimately related to the metaphysical positions presupposed. This course introduces the four most basic concepts in metaphysics: Identity, Existence, Essence, and Universal. We shall approach them by discussing issues concerning (1) the nature of properties, relations, dispositions, and relational properties—(the realism/nominalism debate over the reality of universals, including trope ontology), (2) the nature of objects (the substratum/bundle debate) and kinds (whether kinds are real), (3) modality, focusing on the notion of essence and essentialism, and relating to identity problem, (4) identity and identity statement, (5) existence, including whether "existence" is a predicate and problem with non-existent objects, (6) causality—including debates over determinism/indeterminism and over determinism/free will, and (7) the metaphysical realism/anti-realism debate over the nature of reality.
Given that this is a two-semester course, topics are divided into two groups—(1) through (3) will be introduced in the first semester and (4) through (7)
形上學是哲學裡最基本的研究領域，一切哲學問題莫不與形上學相關，
或者預設某些形上學立場，或者使用形上學概念或原則來思考問題。本門課介紹形上學四大基本概念：存在、等同、本質、共性，並處理七大課題：(1)如何理解性質、關係、傾性、關係性質？這與共性實在論和唯名論之爭有關，並補充介紹殊性存有論。(2)如何理解個物和自然類？(3)對於模態、本質、以及本質論進行解說。(4)如何理解等同以及等同語句？(5)如何理解存在？特別是：存在是否為述詞？不存在物如何理解？(6)如何理解因果關係？將包括決定論與非決定論之爭，以及決定論與自由意志之爭。(7)關於這個世界的形上實在論與反實在論之爭。
由於本門課是兩學期的，第一學期解說(1)至(3)的議題，第二學期解說(4)至(7)的議題。