Substantial Form
A theory of substantial forms asserts that forms (or ideas) organize matter and make it intelligible. Substantial forms are the source of properties, order, unity, identity, and information about objects.
The idea of substantial forms dominates ancient Greek philosophy and medieval philosophy, but has fallen out of favour in modern philosophy. The idea of substantial forms has been abandoned for a mechanical, or “bottom-up” theory of organization.
Read more about Substantial Form: Criticism, Response To Criticism
Famous quotes containing the words substantial and/or form:
“Some people are so extremely whiffling and inconsiderable that they are as far from any real faults as from substantial virtues.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“So that if you would form a just judgment of what is of infinite importance to you not to be misled in,—namely, in what degree of real merit you stand ... call in religion and morality.—Look,—What is written in the law of God?—How readest thou?—Consult calm reason and the unchangeable obligations of justice and truth;Mwhat say they?”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)