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Single Idea 12057

[filed under theme 9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 3. Matter of an Object ]

Full Idea

Matter ex hypothesi is what ultimately underlies (to huperkeimenon) a thing; it is that from which something comes to be and which remains as a non-coincidental component in the thing's make-up.

Gist of Idea

Matter underlies things, composes things, and brings them to be

Source

David Wiggins (Substance [1995], 192a30)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Physics', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [OUP 1996], p.31

A Reaction

This is an interesting prelude to the much more comprehensive discussion of matter in Metaphysics, where he crucially adds the notion of 'form', and gives it priority over the underlying matter.

The 13 ideas with the same theme [underlying material which is formed into an object]:

12134 Matter is the substratum, which supports both coming-to-be and alteration [Aristotle]
12301 Every distinct thing has matter, as long as it isn't an essence or a Form [Aristotle]
16092 In Aristotle, bronze only becomes 'matter' when it is potentially a statue [Aristotle, by Gill,ML]
12300 Aristotle's conception of matter applies to non-physical objects as well as physical objects [Aristotle, by Fine,K]
12077 Aristotle's matter is something that could be the inner origin of a natural being's behaviour [Aristotle, by Witt]
12103 Matter is secondary, because it is potential, determined by the actuality of form [Aristotle, by Witt]
11255 In feature-generation the matter (such as bronze) endures, but in generation it doesn't [Aristotle, by Politis]
11204 The ultimate material of things has the unity of total formlessness [Avicenna]
15309 The assumption that shape and solidity are fundamental implies dubious 'substance' in bodies [Harré/Madden]
12057 Matter underlies things, composes things, and brings them to be [Wiggins]
17531 I assume matter is particulate, made up of 'simples' [Inwagen]
16083 Aristotelian matter seriously threatens the intrinsic unity and substantiality of its object [Gill,ML]
13333 The matter is a relatively unstructured version of the object, like a set without membership structure [Fine,K]