John Philoponus’ New Definition of Prime Matter: Aspects of Its Background in Neoplatonism and the Ancient Commentary Tradition

372 Pages·1997·29.836 MB·English

by  Frans A.J. de Haas

JOHN PHILOPONUS'
NEW DEFINITION
OF PRIME MATTER
PHILOSOPHIA ANTIQUA
A SERIES OF STUDIES
ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
FOUNDED BY J.H. WASZINK AND W.J. VERDENIUS
EDITED BY
J. MANSFELD, D.T. RUNIA
J.C.M. VAN WINDEN
VOLUME LXIX
FRANS AJ. DE HAAS
JOHN PHILOPONUS'
NEW DEFINITION
OF PRIME MATTER
JOHN PHILOPONUS'
NEW DEFINITION
OF PRIME MATTER
ASPECTS OF ITS BACKGROUND IN
NEOPLAT ONISM AND THE ANCIENT
COMMENTARY TRADITION
BY
FRANS AJ. DE HAAS
EJ. BRILL
LEIDEN · NEW YORK · KOLN
1997
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Haas, Frans AJ. de.
John Philoponus' new definition of prime matter : aspects of its
background in Neoplatonism and the ancient commentary tradition I by
Frans AJ. de Haas.
p. em.- (Philosophia antiqua, ISSN 0079-1687; v. 69)
Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)-1995 under title:
Philoponus' notion of prime matter.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 9004104461 (cloth : alk. paper)
I. Philoponus, John, 6th cent-Contributions in concept of prime
matter. 2. Prime matter (Philosophy)-History. I. Title.
II. Series.
B673J64H22 1996
117-dc20 96-38326
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek-CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Haas, Frans AJ. de:
John Philoponus' new definition of prime matter : aspects of
its background in Neoplatonism and the ancient commentary
tradition I by Frans AJ. de Haas.-Leidcn; New York; Koln
: Brill, 1996
(Philosophia antiqua; Vol. 69)
ISBN 90-04-1 0446-1
NE:GT
ISSN 0079-1687
ISBN 90 04 I 0446 I
© Copyright 1997 by E.]. Brill, Leiden, 7he Netherlands
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Ta.u-ra. oe cO~ cra.<pfi OV'ta. na.pfix:ev 6 'Aptcr'tO'tEA:rt~
Aristotle omitted this because he believed it was evident
John Philoponus, In De generatione et corruptione 74.3
For Monique

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface................................................................................................ ix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Chapter One: Proclus and Philoponus.................................................. I
I Proclus against the generation of matter ex nihi/o.................... 1
1 The origin of matter in Proclus' Timaeus-commentary...... 6
1. 1 The generation of matter requires matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 'Generated' means 'depending on a cause' ...................... 8
1.3 The revision of the house analogy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9
1. 4 The significance of disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2 The pivotal role of Aet. XI ............................................... 17
II Philoponus' presentation of the status quaestionis
concerning matter (Contra Proclum Xl.l-2) ............................ 20
I The communis opinio concerning matter (XI.1)................ 21
2 Theoretical distinctions . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. 26
3 The arguments in favour of the communis opinio (XI.2) ... 29
4 The traditional theory of matter in Philoponus' works:
some controversial passages.............................................. 31
III Turning the tables (Contra Proc/um Xl.3) ............................... 36
Chapter Two: Three-dimensionality in the ancient philosophical
tradition .................................................. ."............................... 46
Aspects of three-dimensionality............................................... 4 7
II Plato and Aristotle: matter, place, and limits . . . . . . . . .. . ... . . . . . . . . .. . . . 50
1 Plato: the poly-interpretability of the Timaeus................... 50
2 Aristotle's criticism of Plato: place and matter.................. 55
3 Aristotle's criticism of the Pythagoreans: limits................ 60
4 Aristotle's own notion of matter....................................... 70
III The level of three-dimensionality in later Platonic thought...... 74
1 Proclus' Commentary on the Parmenides ......................... 75
l.l Syrianus' defense ofPythagoreanism................................ 82
1.2 Aristotle's account of infinity........................................... 88
1.3 Unqualified body as substratum........................................ 91
2 Proclus' Commentary on the Timaeus............................... 94
3 The commentaries on the Categories................................ 99
4 The reception ofPlotinus' criticism of the Stoa................. 100
4.1 Simplicius: the universal agreement concerning matter.... 102