Full Idea
The question might be raised whether substance (i.e. the 'this') comes-to-be at all. Is it not rather the 'such', the 'so-great', or the 'somewhere', which comes-to-be?
Gist of Idea
Does the pure 'this' come to be, or the 'this-such', or 'so-great', or 'somewhere'?
Source
Aristotle (Coming-to-be and Passing-away (Gen/Corr) [c.335 BCE], 317b21)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'The Basic Works of Aristotle', ed/tr. McKeon,Richard [Modern Library Classics 2001], p.479
A Reaction
This is interesting because it pulls the 'tode ti', the 'this-such', apart, showing that he does have a concept of a pure 'this', which seems to constitute the basis of being ('ousia'). We can say 'this thing', or 'one of these things'.