Summary: By microphysics we mean, roughly speaking, the physics of elementary particles and their interactions. The question we ask is whether knowledge of microphysics suffices, in principle, to determine the physics and chemistry of larger assemblages of inert matter. Since there seems to be little more than expressions of opinion on this subject, we infer that the question is regarded as belonging more to metaphysics than to physics. In this paper, we attempt to analyze it in such a way as to arrive at precisely defined mathematical problems, the solution of which may allow one to give a non-metaphysical answer to the question.