Philoponus: Against Proclus on the Eternity of the World
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Share, Michael, PUBLISHER: Duckworth Publishing, In ong>onong>e ong>ofong> ong>theong> most original books ong>ofong> late antiquity, Philopong>onong>us argues for ong>theong> Christian view that matter can be created by God out ong>ofong> nothing. It needs no prior matter for its creationg>onong>. At ong>theong> same time, Philopong>onong>us transforms Aristotle's cong>onong>ceptiong>onong> ong>ofong> prime matter as an incorporeal 'something - I know not what' that serves as ong>theong> ultimate subject for receiving extensiong>onong> and qualities. ong>Onong> ong>theong> cong>onong>trary, says Philopong>onong>us, ong>theong> ultimate subject is extensiong>onong>. It is three-dimensiong>onong>al extensiong>onong> with its exact dimensiong>onong>s and any qualities unspecified. Moreover, such extensiong>onong> is ong>theong> defining characteristic ong>ofong> body. Hence, so far from being incorporeal, it is body, and as well as being prime matter, it is form - ong>theong> form that cong>onong>stitutes body. This uses, but entirely disrupts, Aristotle's cong>onong>ceptual apparatus. Finally, in Aristotle's scheme ong>ofong> categories, this extensiong>onong> is not to be classified under ong>theong> secong>onong>d category ong>ofong> quantity, but under ong>theong> first category ong>ofong> substance as a substantial quantity.