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Full Idea
It has been held that Aristotle needed the conception of prime matter only because he held that the transmutation of one element into another is impossible.
Gist of Idea
Aristotle may only have believed in prime matter because his elements were immutable
Source
report of Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], matter) by Peter Alexander - Ideas, Qualities and Corpuscles 01.2
Book Ref
Alexander,Peter: 'Ideas, Qualities and Corpuscles' [CUP 1985], p.46
| 15771 | Primary matter is what characterises other stuffs, and it has no distinct identity [Aristotle] |
| 12868 | Ultimate matter is discredited, as Aristotle merged substratum of change with bearer of properties [Simons on Aristotle] |
| 16099 | The traditional view of Aristotle is God (actual form) at top and prime matter (potential matter) at bottom [Aristotle, by Gill,ML] |
| 15954 | Aristotle may only have believed in prime matter because his elements were immutable [Aristotle, by Alexander,P] |
| 16589 | Prime matter lacks essence, but is only potentially and indeterminately a physical thing [Auriol] |
| 16571 | Prime matter is exceptionally obscure [Zabarella] |
| 16591 | Prime matter is nothing but its parts [Vanini] |
| 16600 | Prime matter is body considered with mere size and extension, and potential [Hobbes] |
| 19399 | Prime matter is nothing when it is at rest [Leibniz] |
| 17006 | Prime matter has no place in Aristotle's theories, and passages claiming it are misread [Gill,ML] |
| 16093 | Prime matter is actually nothing and potentially everything (or potentially an element) [Gill,ML] |