Aristotle's Science of Matter and Motion

Christopher Byrne is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at St. Francis Xavier University.

• PrefaceAcknowledgments Introduction: The Case against an Aristotelian Physics1 Motion and Change in Perceptible Objects1.1 The Common Attributes of Perceptible Objects1.1.1 Perceptible Objects and Physical Contact1.1.2 Perceptible Objects and Motion1.1.3 Perceptible Objects and Change1.2 Motion and Natural Motion1.2.1 Motion and the Definition of Change 1.2.2 Motion and Place1.2.3 Motion and Inertial Motion2 E fficient Causality in Perceptible Objects2.1 General Principles of Efficient Causality2.1.1 Efficient Causality Belongs to Physical Agents2.1.2 Causation by Internal Parts2.1.3 Transmission Model of Causal Agency2.1.4 Causation by Commensurate Powers2.2 Mechanics and the Laws of Nature2.2.1 No Action at a Distance2.2.2 Proportion of Change to Physical Contact2.2.3 Spatial Dissipation of Causal Influence2.2.4 Combination of Causal Powers2.2.5 Necessity of Prior Motion2.2.6 P roportion between Cause and Effect2.2.7 Like Produces Like2.2.8 Universal Application and Experiments3 The Material Causes of Perceptible Objects3.1 The Definition of a Material Cause3.2 Perceptible Matter and the Division of the Sciences3.3 The Physical Requirements for Motion and Change3.3.1 The Substratum of Physical Interaction3.3.2 The Substratum of Locomotion3.3.3 The Substratum of Generation and Destruction4 The Material Elements and Prime Matter4.1 The Common Substratum of the Material Elements4.2 The Generation of the Material Elements5 Simple Physical Necessity in the Material Elements5.1 Simple versus Hypothetical Necessity5.2 Simple Teleological Necessity in the Elements5.3 Simple Non-Teleological Necessity in the Elements6 Simple Physical Necessity in Objects Made out of the Elements6.1 Simple Teleological Necessity in Perceptible Objects6.2 Simple Non-Teleological Necessity in Perceptible Objects6.3 Generation of Homogeneous Mixtures7 The Dual Nature of Perceptible Objects7.1 The Dual Nature of Physical Artefacts7.2 The Many Natures of Natural Substances7.3 The Difference between Natural Substances and Physical Artefacts7.4 The Unity of Natural Substances8 Matter and the Soul8.1 The Soul as the Actuality of the Body8.2 The Soul and Efficient Causality9 The Role of Teleological Explanation9.1 The Limits of Teleological Explanation9.2 The Compatibility of Natural Teleology with Non-Teleological Necessity9.3 The Dependence of Natural Teleology on Non-Teleological Necessity10 C onclusion: The Independence of the Material Cause10.1 The Material Cause and the Substratum of Generation10.2 The Material Cause and Potentiality10.3 The Material Cause and Definition10.4 The Material Cause and ChangeNotesWorks CitedIndex of Texts from Aristotle