3.1 The concept of substance and its attributes

Aristotle's concept of substance forms the cornerstone of his metaphysics. It's the fundamental nature of things, existing independently and persisting through change. Substance comes in two flavors: primary (individual entities) and secondary (universal concepts).

Essence defines what makes a thing what it is, while accidents are non-essential properties. Form and matter are inseparable components of substance, explaining change and persistence in the world. This idea, called hylomorphism, applies to all physical objects.

Substance and Its Types

Fundamental Concepts of Substance

Top images from around the web for Fundamental Concepts of Substance

• 

  Science with Aristotle View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Science with Aristotle View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Fundamental Concepts of Substance

• 

  Science with Aristotle View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Science with Aristotle View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Aristotle - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Substance serves as the foundational concept in Aristotle's metaphysics
• Represents the most basic and essential nature of a thing
• Exists independently and does not require other things for its existence
• Persists through change while maintaining its identity
• Contrasts with properties or attributes that depend on substances for their existence

Primary and Secondary Substances

• Primary substance refers to individual, concrete entities (Socrates, this particular tree)
• Possesses unique characteristics and cannot be predicated of anything else
• Forms the basis for all other categories of being
• Secondary substance encompasses species and genera (human, animal)
• Represents universal concepts that can be predicated of multiple primary substances
• Provides essential characteristics shared by members of a particular group

Essence and Accident

• Essence constitutes the fundamental nature of a substance
• Defines what makes a thing what it is (rationality for humans)
• Remains constant and necessary for a substance's existence
• Accident denotes non-essential properties of a substance
• Can change without altering the substance's fundamental nature (hair color)
• Helps distinguish between individuals within the same species

Form, Matter, and Hylomorphism

Form and Matter as Fundamental Components

• Form represents the structure, organization, or pattern of a substance
• Determines the essential characteristics and functions of an object
• Provides the intelligible aspect of a substance (shape of a statue)
• Matter constitutes the physical substrate or material of a substance
• Exists as the underlying stuff that takes on different forms (bronze of a statue)
• Possesses the potential to become various things through the imposition of form

Hylomorphism and Its Implications

• Hylomorphism unifies form and matter as inseparable aspects of substance
• Asserts that all physical objects consist of both form and matter
• Explains change and persistence in the natural world
• Resolves the tension between Plato's eternal forms and the material world
• Applies to living beings, artifacts, and natural substances

Potentiality and Actuality

• Potentiality refers to the inherent capacity for change or development
• Represents what a substance can become or do (acorn's potential to become an oak tree)
• Actuality denotes the realization of potential or the current state of being
• Describes what a substance actually is at a given moment (fully grown oak tree)
• Explains the process of change as movement from potentiality to actuality
• Applies to both substantial and accidental changes in substances

Logical Classifications

Categories and Their Significance

• Categories organize and classify different types of being
• Include substance as the primary category and nine accidental categories
• Accidental categories: quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, state, action, passion
• Provide a framework for understanding the various ways things can be described
• Help distinguish between essential and non-essential properties of substances

Predicables and Types of Predication

• Predicables classify different ways of attributing properties to substances
• Include genus, species, difference, property, and accident
• Genus represents a broad class to which a substance belongs (animal)
• Species denotes a more specific class within a genus (human)
• Difference distinguishes one species from others within the same genus (rationality)
• Property indicates a characteristic unique to a species but not part of its essence (ability to laugh)
• Accident refers to non-essential attributes that may or may not belong to a substance (hair color)

Universals and Particulars

• Universals represent general concepts or properties shared by multiple individuals
• Exist as abstract entities that can be predicated of many particulars (redness, humanity)
• Form the basis for scientific knowledge and classification
• Particulars denote individual, concrete instances of a universal
• Exist as specific examples of a universal concept (this red apple, Socrates)
• Serve as the primary substances in Aristotle's ontology
• Relate to universals through instantiation or participation