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Full Idea
Primary matter is nothing if considered at rest.
Gist of Idea
Prime matter is nothing when it is at rest
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Aristotle and Descartes on Matter [1671], p.90)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Leibniz Selections', ed/tr. Wiener,Philip P. [Scribners 1951], p.90
A Reaction
This goes with Leibniz's Idea 13393, that activity is the hallmark of existence. No one seems to have been able to make good sense of prime matter, and it plays little role in Aristotle's writings.
Related Idea
Idea 13393 Any entity has the unique property of being that specific entity [Jubien]
| 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] |