Cathbad Bozhko’s Reviews > The Reign of Quantity and The Signs of the Times > Status Update

Notes on: Chapter 2 - 'MATERIA SIGNATA QUANTITATE'

‘materia’ (Scholastics) == ‘ ὕλη ’ (Aristotle)
== ‘ Prakriti ‘ (Hindu/Sanskrit)
~= ‘Universal Substance’ (‘substance’ is the closest, although inadequate, Western word)
~= ‘Pure Potency’ (Nothing distinguished or actualised)
~= ‘the passive support of all manifestation’
=/= ‘matter’ (Modern/Western concept)

‘Materia’ can (be made to encompass) / (become) ‘matter’ (Modern/Western concept) in certain special cases.

At lower levels of manifestation—when understood in a relative sense and by analogy to the Principle of Universal Substance— ὕλη (Aristotle) takes on a secondary meaning as the “substantial” side of particular existences, especially when correlated with εἶδος, the “essential” side of those existences.

‘ ὕλη ’ (Aristotle, universal level) == ‘materia prima’ (Scholastics)

‘ ὕλη ’ (Aristotle, lower levels/relative/analogical) == ‘materia secunda’ (Scholastics)

=/= ‘Pure Potency’

That which is ‘materia’ at one level of manifestation can become ‘forma’ at another, and inversely.

‘Materia prima’ (‘Universal Substance’) is unintelligble, both because we are incapable of knowing, and because there is nothing to be known of, that which is absolutely undistinguished and undifferentiated potentiality.

‘Materia secunda’ (lower levels/relative/analogical ‘substance’), insofar as it participates in the potentiality of ‘materia prima’ (‘Universal Substance’), as far do they also participate in its ‘unintelligibility’.

Due to the unintelligibility of materia at all levels of manifestation, explanations of things must not be sought on the ‘substantial’ side. Explanations of things must be sought on the ‘essential’ side.

Translated into spatial symbolism:
“Every explanation must proceed from above downard and not from below upward”

 |
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 | ( εἶδος / ‘essential’ side -> sensible qualities proceed from it, sought for explanations )
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 \/
 
[a particular existence]

 /\
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 | ( ὕλη / ‘substantial’ side -> supports manifestations )
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 |

Modern science lacks all explanatory value because it attempts to explain things from the substantial side.

The modern physicists’ ‘matter’ is merely ‘materia secunda’, endowed with properties, the nature of which they disagree on. Since their conceptions do not go beyond the sensible world, they do not have a conception of ‘materia prima’.

The modern physicists’ conception of inertia is corrupted. Inertia can only be correctly attributed to ‘materia prima’, since it is synonymous with passivity / pure potentiality.

To speak of “inert matter” is a contradiction. Their ‘matter’ is only able to be perceived through the senses, however, that which is “intert” would have no properties and would not be manifest in any way, and thus, is unable to be perceived by the senses.

Materialism

Definition: (An error of modern physics) The attribution of quality to ‘matter’, and the subsequent assignment of all reality (or at least, all that is capable of being recognised as reality) to ‘matter’. The confusion and reduction of quality to quantity.

‘Materia secunda’ is not the equivalent of ‘matter’ in modern physics.

‘Materia secunda’ is the relative analogy of ‘Universal Substance’ at lower levels of manifestation.

The ‘materia sencunda’ of our world must have determination in accordance with the special conditions of this world, such that it can be the substance of this world in particular.

Saint Thomas Aquinas specifies the determination of the ‘materia secunda’ of our world as ‘materia signata quantitate’. Quality is not inherent in ‘materia secunda’ and quality does not make ‘materia secunda’ what it is, even if quality is only considered in relation to the sensible order. Instead, it is quantity that makes ‘materia secunda’ what it is, thus, ex parte materia.

Quantity is a condition of existence in the sensible/corporeal world, everything that exists in this world is neccesarily subject to quantity. There is no need to attribute properties to ‘materia secunda’ that cannot belong to it (such as quality, as modern physicists have done to their ‘matter’).