“In truth, infinite Space-Time is not the substance of substances, but it is the stuff of substances. No word more appropriate to it than the ancient one of hyle. Just as a roll of cloth is the stuff of which coats are made but is not itself a coat, so Space-Time is the stuff of which all things, whether as substances or under any category, are made.”

Samuel Alexander,
Space, Time, and Deity

A shared library on hylomorphism

Premodern philosophers formulated an impressive number of different variants of hylomorphism. The best way to appreciate such richness is to dive into the historical actors’ own words, dissecting their stances and reconstructing their ontological systems – unspoken assumptions and unwanted implications included. This prime matter library collects some of them. The plan is to gradually upload more and more texts. However, not all texts on hylomorphism will be included. And many of them will only be partial, focusing on those aspects which are relevant to a rediscovery of medieval hylomorphism. Moreover, the selection implicitly focuses on those works and texts that are relevant for my own research. As a consequence, although “matter and form are always together”, the centre is on matter and its fragmentation into a plurality of epistemes.

Roger Bacon

Toledan hylomorphism