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Single Idea 17531

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

Full Idea

I assume in this book that matter is ultimately particulate. Every material being is composed of things that have no proper parts: 'elementary particles' or 'mereological atoms' or 'metaphysical simples'.

Gist of Idea

I assume matter is particulate, made up of 'simples'

Source

Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], Pref)

Book Ref

Inwagen,Peter van: 'Material Beings' [Cornell 1995], p.5

A Reaction

It may be that modern physics doesn't support this, if 'fields' is the best term for what is fundamental. Best to treat his book as hypothetical - IF there are just simples, proceed as follows.

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]