Single Idea 19436

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 7. Later Matter Theories / a. Early Modern matter]

Full Idea

The active principle is not attributed by me to bare or primary matter, which is merely passive ...but to clothed or secondary matter which in addition contains a primitive entelechy, or active principle.

Clarification

An 'entelechy' makes potentialities become actual

Gist of Idea

Bare or primary matter is passive; it is clothed or secondary matter which contains action

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Wagner [1710], 1710 §2)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Leibniz Selections', ed/tr. Wiener,Philip P. [Scribners 1951], p.504


A Reaction

Secondary matter contains monads. The puzzling question is what primary matter consists of. It is not atoms, because it is infinitely divisible, and it seems to be composed of corpuscles. But what is it made of? Just gunge? He says it is 'flux'.