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Full Idea
The wood is, as it were, a relatively unstructured version of the tree, just as the set {a,b,c,d} is an unstructured counterpart of the set {{a,b},{c,d}}.
Gist of Idea
The matter is a relatively unstructured version of the object, like a set without membership structure
Source
Kit Fine (Things and Their Parts [1999], §5)
Book Ref
-: 'Midwest Studs in Philosophy' [-], p.73
A Reaction
He is trying to give a modern logicians' account of the Aristotelian concept of 'form' (as applied to matter). It is part of the modern project that objects must be connected to the formalism of mereology or set theory. If it works, are we thereby wiser?
| 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] |