Untangling matter

My research explores the interconnection of metaphysics and natural philosophy in premodern European thought, with a central focus on the Aristotelian theory of hylomorphism. According to this doctrine, every bodily substance is a composite of matter and form. The scholastic tradition engaged in a gradual refinement of this theory, developing sophisticated doctrines to address metaphysical and physical challenges arising from the hylomorphic consideration of the universe. My primary interest centres on the theory of prime matter. Scholastic philosophy, with almost no exception, asserted that a common, potential, and formless substrate is necessary for natural processes of generation and corruption. This substrate is commonly identified as prime matter. However, the inclusion of such an elusive substrate in scholastic ontology raised numerous crucial and difficult problems, forming the primary focus of my research.