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Erkenntni s und Wissenschaft
Probleme def Epistemologie in der Philosophie
des Mittelalters

Knowledge and Science

Problems of Epistemology in Medieval
Philosophy

Herausgegeben von
Matthias Lutz~B achmann, Alexander Fidora
und Pia Ancolic

ISBN 3-05-004\0\-3

Akademie Verlag

2004
 Jack C. Mar/er

Alnmonlul nnd Eriuge na: On Matter and Predication'

Of ArislOIle', C",~on~•. a vtry eurioUJ fe.t,,", il the lock of any explici, ref~~ \0 tile
• ......niol or pIKe ofmatl ... 11>< tou tumlsba!HI obvious gmunds for uyl", how it is th3t
lILUIer. in ... y ClIOlO'l'. may be oubje« 10 pmlicacion; nor does it prOvide obvious " ' _
by wbieh 10 undcol' Id ~y bow. in relacion \o . .y individwo~ op«:;n. or IC'"........
should be rcpnIcd.
=
III evtty "\CiO<y. tIIe ....jor dislillCliclll is IhII bctw""" univenab -.d indlvidUlb. Bill
tbne is - in the CM".mu - !HI definite explanation,;o ony ca~JOIY. of wha. Ihim", ore
""terially.
Certainly lIOI fmm thc C,,'egt>ri.... but from othH lcJIU in the CMPUJ A'iI"".lic~m. il
.an be Ihow~ Ihal. ,cl.. ivc to the diff.~ti 'Iinll forms by which any ilcnUJ mIIy be ",,,,Ivod
inlO the lpeCiea il con"';n" thc go"" .. in each .ategory ore thc equivocal milt..,. from whicb
evOf)' specie! Ihould be consuuctcd. And Ipin. from OIhc, t .... u in tile CMpru A'~IOl<Ii­
at,.., it can be ~11. more or Ieu cleatly. wh.ot ."....ilO1<4 mltle:t in tile CIOlcaory of sui>-
sw.:e -.d io the scwral caltgories tba~ entirely upon ,ub$UDCC, "" depcl\dccl. for Iboir
bc-in&-
lba. matter is 001 a topicoUy d;s,inc! ",bjea of discuosi<m in !be C"'~oriu is • face
toIIuibu'ina 10 I n..... ber of iss.... raised in the tnIIiliclll of r:ommmlalY. wr:b M il bas been,
l1li the C"'~ ODd iU ~phrue$. AmoIIa .... issI>es ore ~ o,,*,Lolly coocemina tile
• principal cOrISlIl\leflu of the .'''gO<)" of l ulman«.
Because Ihe C",.""ier assum •• Ih. propo<iliOrll and arguments abollt IUbsWICC and
[onn ,h.I ore .. pounded in the MelopAyricl. the texl advances individUlI. lJ the dclermi_
nlnll of univ.""l •• uch that. withoul me i~dividuab, no univ<:r$lll l may e. ill 11 all. And
.in«. unli.l:e the individ ..... ls. Wliven.o.IIWC "'" independofldy beio .. illllould be thoogbl -
.. indeed AristocJc """"I" to think - thal il really is the iodividuoll that, in .... CIOtegOl)' of
"""'1""". ore ""inl primarily. So Ari.""I.: MWltat is MQSl Slrictly. primarily. tnd most of
all calhd SI ......... is ... ilber ..id oh oubjOd nor is [peseotJ iD .... bjOd ....
W1IM ArisIOI1c ' .....11 bore is individual be;"&- Although. for bim, lWIlhina is octually .....
fmod by Dtption and IIIIIch concemina !bote "'In....... called Mprimary" ten'IIins tlrUJ to
be discuued in chap'" five of the CD'tr"'lu. this ·...,gotive dcfinib",,' lu(f..:", w.1l eo-
!\OUCh to distinsuis!l individual. in tile .al.(lOry of . ub'tallC. from thei, spKi .. and from
thei, '.n.... also colkd .. 'ub> ..nc .... Se . ",in Aristotl.: "Sub5lancc.s If. ~Dlltd secondary

1 1 ................. ""11'· Fo,,"I 1'1 .... .. ~r..r ........ ' joediolraadt • • '....... ........-
ol .... _ . . .. _ ........ toPfof. DDr. Manlllalt...-IIoclnoruI,Or. ...... • '. F-.. . . rio-.
~
1 "';'-' C..."..;,., • .1011. n.: o..et "'" iI io AJ' , le, no c ........ 0. 1....... _ . , _
A~.od. _ _ lIIoopT. 1 "",C,' i4p0M=.' '''1911.
 Jack C. Mori"
" jj th.ot whioh is JQUi not of:H1Y .ubject. For the .... Ily primuy ""b.tatlCe. thot i•. lhe
in which, as speci... [he .ubSta/lot$ we call primary are included and in which,., genera,
the specie' .... included.'"
And those substances coiled se=dary. as AristQll. PY', .", each "<aid of .. subject but
.... not [prounl) in a subject".' These, in tbc category of subst.noe, ..., the uni""".I, lb.
names ond ddmitioIU of " 'hioh .... predicable of the individual, by which 'hey are populo_
,~.
The ,eeming pnm. cy o f individuals in Ill. "'''gory of substance is founded, it i, clear,
uJ>On the fact !hat they are imp,o<licable 'ubjet\$ of rmdicot;on thot,.u nevm- in ~ .ubj ec~
.re indep<ndenlly being. But, in the ttadil;<>n of commentary, lIIei' primuy hu not atw.)"
boon W<en for granted.
Ammoniu. Henneiou (Cl . CE 44{1 • ca. S21). the m,de •• of Proclus. who in .uece.sion
to his f.thor, l«lUred ot Alexandria, look the view th.,;t WIS from Archytas ofT.rentum
(ca. BCE 428·) 50), the Pythagorean, th.t Ari.IOlI. inherited the doctrine of categorie •. fli.
reason fo< beli eving lhi. w" in the existence of a treati.e. n.pl tol K<16o.l.oil ....",0'. devoted
10 the categories. which w., p...,bably written by • cont<mporary of Cice..., and whicb w..
falsely .ttributed to At<:hyt ... the p,ed<ceS$O' of Aristotle'
Accordingly, Ammonius understood the doctrine of c"'gorie. 10 have be'n of pyth.go-
'co" fabricalion; .nd, in hi' opini<>n. Aristotle', contribulion to the doctrine w .. in hi. fi n·
ding the appropriale order of the calegories. e'pe<i. lly in ,elalion to the calegory of su\>stan'
ce. Fo. hi, interpret.tion of the text of tbe Categorje., Ammoniu. indeed had the ",mbl.""e
_ if certainly not the very .ui><l.1nce - ofhi.torical support.'
What survi,.. , of Ammonius on the Categcrje. is the tec!w"C·note. which hi ••ruden"
recorded .od which were u.scmbled into lbe commentary ,h., Adolf Bu"e ediled and
published in 1895. In ref.,,:,.cc to wha~ in Ihe CQfegQl"i~s. Aristotle calls primary and <c-
condary substance" Ammonius stal., that:
[An.tolle] say. of thi • • ubotan<. th .. some i. prinwy .nd """'" >e<ondary. c.lling the
p' 01icul.,. primuy.nd the univrn.al >e<ondary. For thi. re""," it i, wonh ... hi le to ..k
why he .. y. thi ••• i.... univ.,..ts ore mo ... wot"\hy th.n pani""l.rs. Our ... sponse i, th.ot
things prior by n.tu ... ate seoonoWy 10 U, '0
:md things pri", u. ore <eoondary by no.rure
[... ]. Since. th'n. the "pl.lIlllio" i, .imed .. beginn .... and to beginnen irt'llnedi.", tbings
are..., ... manif.". it i. fittinS llat in the present ciftum~ he call. panic"lors pnma·
ry. For it i, from pmi""",n 'hot we .... led to ..,;""...10.
It i. beea." be doe. "'" .pprovc of thi. """",or of.l"'oI;"" th .. he doe. oot soy ' thl1
which primarily and most of.1l " [,ub" ..... ]". 001 ·[that which prim.nly..,d most of
. 11] is CQII~ [,ubotancer . 0 .. must ""'loe how Ari.lOlle .. p....... himself h..e. Bc...·
<C," we ha, e said, he disapproves of cam oB the pankular .ubstance primary, he SOY' it
l """""I<. Cat.,oo.,. 4.2.11.
• 16".• 2.1>20.
! """",""os. in "I.,;"" to P.. .&o-A.I<hyuo il diS<u<O<d in A"""""io<. On AT,""'''', Colrf"rl<t.
Inn ~ 5.
Mm Cohm "'" G.."th D. M.IIh<,... IIhaeofN.w YO<t 1991. p. 4.1L 24 "'" p. 20. o. 19. Alw ... Thomas
"'1"",,<I<r S>l<nk. P.<tudo·d",",..., iiM, & Kal<[lOri<•• B,rtinltl,w York 19J1.
6 Am"""'/; I" AT""",I" ca",.,.", __-us. <d. AOolr O..... lkdi" 1I1\IS. p. t4. I. I.
..,;v.....l. IJ of ",me ,ubjocl. So h. "Y' "is .. id"' to indic.,e hi. disoppro ..I.'
To ...., the langu.~ of Ii lerary critic •. Ammonius .lIows the \eXI of the Cal<80,lu 1O ·de·
construct' itself so OS to invert the contents of the ca"'Bory of subst."". Md thus to prove, in
the ""'gory, that the universal •• re primary I nd that the individu.l. are .econdary. And, by
margin.lising individual. in the category of sub."",ce, Amrnonius marginali",s prime mOl·
ter even more. A. be saY': "Simple .ubst.ance that i. inferior 10 the compo.ite i. prime mat·
ter and fonn ....
On the ,rrength of what he _IllS 10 h."e gathered from Ari~totle in Metap nysicJ Z and
H, Amrnoniu. - perhaps in spite of hi, do. per ioclinali<>ltS - .u....
in5 tlte puce of m.ner in
lh. category of ,.MIOtICe. BUI he re,erves hi. 'CCOWlt of malt.,. for tre.lmcnl under the
c.,egory of quanlity:
Prime InItter. which i. fonnless and iocOIjlOr<.I. finl receives thru dimensions:md be·
comes. thtee·dimenoiOfl.1 object called ,he <ccond subj..". and next [reccives] its qu,di.
tle •• nd beeo""" I quantified composite. For <xomple, wben the three-dimen,ional [.ub-
jec'] re",,;,.' beat and dryne". il beeo"," fire; when it re<ei, ... COIdn<5S and wetn .... it
becon>cs water,:md ,imilarly for the otbcn. So q~tity rightly i. =:ond in order among
the cot<iOne •. qu. lity third [ ... ].'
About thi, passage, which dearly ... ume. the doclrine of maner that Anllod. expounded in
Gene",,';on and Corroplion, S. Mar<: Coh.n ""d G.retb B. Matthew, have ~xpr<: .. ed misgi·
vings:
h il not oIe .. why A"""""ius .. y. 'qlWttifled' here (u . 11 MSS ' 8'« that h. doe.). One
"'ould have upected to be lold that. upon receiving ill qu.liti ... the SttOnd 'ubject!:>t-
CO","a qutJ'ij"ml composite. It "'ill. according 10 Ammooius' account. alreody have be·
oome quantified when it beco","lhr<e-dimcnsioo'1. Perhaps his ide. i. that prim. mottcr
ftnt receiv.. the lhr<. dimelUions IUId becomes quan'ified .• nd th", ....:oi,.. its qualities
and 1>eoome1.. qtaIltif,ed CfJmpmi,. ...
The three-dimensional objec" to which. 3$ • .tample., Amrnonius explicitly refem:d ..
<qu.ntified composi le.' are fire and waler. the An$totelian ,imple bodi .. which. as it at>-
pea" in acneroli"" and COrnlp,ion, .re consti""ed from the matter of magnitude and quali.
"' [•.•1since there i. al'" a maltor ou, of whieh corpore.1 ,ub,tance i",elf comes-to·be ("",.
poreal sub,,,,,, ... however. alreody chlUXl<riu:d ... uch·.nd·S\/Ch ,dctcrmin.o.1C body.
for there is 00 lueh thins .. body in S"' .....1). this .. me maner is a l.o the mal .... of
m>gni!ude and quality _ being separable I"n>m th ... maltm by dofinition. bUI no' .epl ·
rable in pl.. e unle" qualities ..... in thei, turn, <cp"",ble."
lib"'.. p. 36. It. 2.11 . ...1I1nD11.,i= of 0 .... '11<" it' !tmn Coh<n >Dd M,nhcws. C.~. <>p. cil.
IIW.. p. ll. 11. 21 ·11 .
"hi.. p. 14. n. 4·10.
10 Cohc. UII! M.nhcw~ C<uOZO'us. Of'. cil.• p. 6' .•. ".
I I Aristotl<. G_,"" aNi C~ioo l .l .nOb22·2S. The G""k toxt il in A".. .,,, •• C""';"S·,,,,N """
f'",,;~. «I. """ IAIIS. E. S. F<IRtt<.1IId AruIotI<. o.,~ COl_. cO . Md ItOIU. D. J. FUIl<Y. C.,...
" Jock C. Marlor
Wh.! AriStotle mea:JS by the "man.r O\lt of which co""" .. l ,ubstance ;!Self com",·t<>-b<",
that is. by prime maner, js not 5eJ>anlble in ... Iily from the "malleT "fmagnitude and quali-
ty":
I, i. therefore Mll<r to '"PI""< that in on ins""", •• of oomiog.,<>-b< the .,.ner i. in"p'-
..ble, i>ei"ll numerically ideotio.1 and '"'" with <he 'containing' body, IhougII ioolabl.
from it by definition. But the ...". ,....".. 01<0 fotbid US to regard <he maneI', 0111 of
whioh <he body corn.Ho_be,'" poin'" ... Iine •. Th. malte< i'that "fwhich poin", and li-
ne ..... I;mits. and it i, """"thing that oan never .xi" without q.wity IUld w;<!wu, fQml_"
In tbi. con l'''t, the "fonnH (0 which AriStotle .lIude, i. quantit.t;ve .nd, • • he ,ugge't. in
Me/aphysi/:. Z, the motler "1II.,.:an nevor . ,1,. without quality Ind without form" belong.
10 the category of IU~l.Ulco;
Fot i{tIlI. [mancr] i. "'" subsl.an<e, it i. beyond us to say what .1", is. When.lI e l.. ;s
l2l<en'''''Y •• kknUy nothina but matter mnains. For of the other el."",n" , ",me lire .f·
feelio ... prod""t>. and <.pacities of bodies. while length. breadth. and depth are quanti.
tios and"", sub<laru:e •. For , quantity i, not. substance; but the subst>JlCe is ralber that
to which these belong primarily. But wheo lenBth .. d breadth and depth "'" t2k<n .way
"'"" see ..,thing I.ft •• cept that which i. bounded by thne, whate= it may be; "" to those
wbo con.ider the qu ..."" thus matter ' ''n. mustsecm 10 be .uMtO"" •. By malter I mean
that which in iuelf i. neither. partic.l ... thing nor of . ""noiD qu,ntity nor assignt<l to
any of the other c.teg<>ri.s by which beina i. determined. For there i, ."""'thing of whkh
<lOh of th= il prulkotod, "" that it> being i. diff.... nt from that or.ooh o{the predi",.
tes; for the predi .. tes 1>!her tban ,ubstance ore predicOlt<l of substance. while substance i.
prt<lkott<l of malt ... ne",fore the ultimate ,ubst""um i. of iuelf ... i!her • particular
,hin& oor of . particular quantity nor otherwise po.iti.'e1y characterized; not yot negiti"e'
Iy, for 1'Iellations ,Iso will belong to it only by ",ddent."
Sin ... for Aristotlo, the rTl3tler of corpo",.l •• I>Stances i. i=p .... bl. fmm th. malt.. of
IIl3gnitude !ll(d of quality. the ingredience of qu.litie. in the matter th.t i, limited by length.
b... adth.• nd depth indeed seems alway. to .... ult. a. AmInoniu, .. y •. in quantified oompo, i'
te" Of the,e. the most ba,ic c.. mpl .. a.. the AriSlot"li"" simple bodie •• !h.t is earth _ the
compo,ite of cold ""d dry. r".. _
the compo.ite of hot and dry. air _ the composite of hot
iJ\d w.t. and water - th. compo.il. of cold ""d wet. the mUlability of on of which i. consti.
lUl.d principally under those quoliti • • thol operot• . in e .. h ,i.gl. case. as """ in a pair of
con""rie,. ,.
In the cou'" of c"""ge. things are sep.rabl. from the;r qualit;e.~ but the qualitie. of
thing>. as Aristo,le would h.ve them. appear DOl to exist separalely from th. mallet of which
they ore indeed the qualiti ..:
bridwe. Mwoeb..... 1911. Tho """,la""" is fi<N>llUtotd 11. kI><IHm An,,,,,I<. D< Z<""~'_ ., c"""P'
,_. ;., Riffim! M,Ke<;., (,d .~ TM Bos'< Wcrb of",;"",1•. N.... Yor' 194 L
II Ibid.• I .U1ObO-16.
13 Ari""'", Akrap/tpia :LJ.IOl9. II_ll- The G... k "'" is io; M_t.:. no.
M"oph~'I<>. &ob I _ lX.
cd. "'" lraM, Hu", TrooleMi<k. Combri<1&" M.....,b .....1I 1900. All "=Slations I'rom Ux M<IOphy:I<> are
(tom W. 0, R.,.. "'ri>IoIk. M<1ap~Fi<'. ""
.... N . ... J=<y 19a-1.
no. c-p/,"W<ri: of "riMa,'_.
<01 J""",bao Borne .. Prin« '
I~ Sce M"",,,,, G<""~I;"" ON! Co",,!,OOn 2.l .11Clo36-111. 6. "1', cn.
"
Now fir<: c.,.,tains the 'bol' embodied in "",ner. bu, a 'ho!' ...,.... from maner (if .uch a
thing <"Xistt<l) could nol .uffer . oy octioo. Perll,p'. indeed. il i, impo"ible thot <the h01'
lhould e,ist in separation !Tom malter: but if lhere ore ."y <nlili .. thus .. parabl •. what
we:u... ying ,""uld belrue of them."
Boe ...... for Arrunonius. if not for Aristotl •• the primary COn:i1i~1S of the c • .,gory of
.ub'lance ore univ.rul. IllId beca".. ""ive,sal. an: oot- .trictly con.idered - materia l , ub.
"'1ICCS. it oeems cI .... lhal cOIpor<:.1 indi"idual, - as w.!! •• the m.ncr that sustain. the m -
would all be marginolsub,'ance. , But, ho",""ver marginolthey would be. they would r<:rTl3;n
,ubj.ct to prulication in the category of ,ubstaflce. Yet if. in CQntrUt 10 AriS!otelian do<tri·
ne. the qualiti.s of material .ubSlan«. were such as to ex;" .. p.tn,ely. th"'o i, .. ason to
beli.v. th.t material being, would not be .ubslances ., all. ThOl thi. can be so is shown by
the Eriugenean rec.ption oflhe Cat~gorieJ.
Th. firSt book of Eriug. na·, P ....pIoy...(}~ can and should be ... ad a, a text within the tra-
dition of comm<ntary on the Ca"go"'os, Although the object of Eriugena', .. m.uI<s is the
pseudo.Augu"inilln CQ'egoriae decem. th. panophrase of the Cmegories that,;n the e", of
Con'taIIliu, ..d Th<o<lo.iu .. originated in Ihe ..,hool of Themistiu •• hi, treatmenl of prodi·
",ion i. altog.ther ""slematic and i••1 least as conform.ble to Aristotle'. text as i, the
eOll'llnentary of Amrnonius." Thai the Colt8ari<re d"com i. at ... d. riv.tiv. from that of
Aristotle, Eriugena we!! understands" ~
Since then: i. nO "'idenee th.~ .pan from the Cmega,iae decem. Eriugen. enjoyed >c.
CeS$ to the Corpus ,A,iS!oleUcum. il """"' thal he could not have brought, as did Ammoniu ••
the in1<'Prt:tali". w.ight of ,uch works as th. Me'aplo~.iCJ; to bear on his underStanding of
'he Ca'~gari~s. Thu .. for Eriugena. but unlike Ammonius. malter ha. no place in the catego-
ry of substance.
Since Er;ng•• ', in trealing the c.I<gOO ... upholds it os. cardinal principle that all the
c'''gori ... considered in th.,...I" ... ar. incolpo .... I." he .Iready h.. grounds for thinking
Ibat corporeal being •• w;th their malta. are al leasl as marginal .. Ammo.ius had un·
derSlood them. Beli.vinKo as be doe •. that .ubstance - in iuelf - is in<:olporeal. Eriuge ...
","inlOin, thal wn.lever inh .... iD substance i, lik. wi .. incorporeal. " So the invesligation
of ,ub.tance. for Enuge ••• ,equi .... no investigation ofmaner.
A. Eriug.... would have it, the category of substance does includ. genens. .ped... ""d
individuals ('''''Ilttl) but. bec.u .. nO , ubstance i, extended. no .ub.tance may be corporeal,
Th. conlents of tbe .. t<gory of .ubstiJ\ce are. tb .... fo .... pu ... ly fonno l. A, beina pmely
fonna!. they "", compl«.ly irnrnaterial.
E... rything whicb i. comp",h.nded within 1<og!h, breadth. and depth. , ince it i. endo.ed
in di""" !tincb of dimen.ion,. i, • body. while 'hot whicb admits none of the"" dimen,i·
on. be-<ouse il i. one and simple and connol admit into its Il&IU1e ony molion through
I~IbId.. 1.1.314bl~ - lJ.
" "Tb< .... of c~,.~ 00:_ is in; ArUl<>I<I.. '<1,1"", l. c",tprltH ....1 p<a«J_n1o, <d. to.< ...
M;tlio-P, lucllo. Bnll<IIParis \% 1.
11 JoMn"is $<01/; !ri.g<N'< ", ,;~, l.>< d,.is;""" ..""" (LiIR, prim"'). <d, I, p, Sb<l<lDn·Willi""",
Oubl;' 1%1. 49JA .
IS IMd.. '1ID ..1M ,
" Ib;J.. • 1ID.. ,9 ....
'"
.p><e is necessarily incorpore.l; bUI wb.I.".,. (0<.0«<) j. not e~l.nded in length Of
b .... dlh or dtplh, and beca ... il remain. illllivi,ible in Ibe simplicity of ilS nafur< i. in_
eo<p<>I1'.l; therefore no .ub".noe, being without dimension, i< <orpot •• I, ju,t as no body.
being ",tended in 'pace, i ••• ubstanc ....
Since, for Eriugena, evcry ca1egory is inO(lrpOfO" and si",,<, by ,h.1 reasoning, quanLity;'
incorporeal, no oorpor..l hei"g is • quantity. Never the ,=, Eriugeno propose, that quantity
..,mellow indudes cOrpO ....1 beingJ:
, thought .fby the ru<on al""e, The .. n.ible po i .~ on Ih. Olher h.od. i, pan of. lint, bu,
I".) bodies .n: included in the ea"gory of quan'ity I ...) """.'ity i. nothin, el.. but the de·
fini'. me',unn, out of ~ whkh Ire .. paroled .i,ber by the 'eason .IOM or by n.rural
dirr. .. ntiation. md ,be "'tion.1 ext.",ion to definite limit! of tbo .. things which .. tend
in tlte dime",i"", of ,,-,oun:, I mean in length, in br<>dth, and in depth I ...)."
HOW quantity, though intorporeal. applies 10 corporeal ,",ings i. an issue to be resolved
upon the con,titution of man er outside of, and .pan from, t,", <.tegory of ,ubstanc •.
A. Eriuge.. un<lt",.nds, followi"i aregory ofNyua. the dissolubility of mottor pro'e,
Ihat "( ... ] m.mer i. nothiltjl el .. bUI a cerlai. <ompo.ition of aoddents which proceed< from
in.i,ible c.ust, 10 ,i,ible maner".~
Substance, by it! pu"'li,. simplicity. i, inoorruptible. And manor, therefore, .. subject 10
corruption, i. 10 be found nol in the category of.ubstance but in th. accid.nUlI orde, th.t i.
con .. quent upon .ub,"'nc. , Bee.u,. thi', for Eriugena indeed ,equires >ptcial ."enlion 10
'he cotogory of G".,"ity. he dte, Calegoriae decem:
[... ) whon ....... anythiltjl it is nece,sary to eslima,c bow much of it th.re i•. Bu, how
much of it tltere i. cannot be di,,:ov<T<d unl. .. il i, ,u",eyed Wldc:r 'be oppli<atioo of
me ..... ment, If, lben. one wi,hes to me.. ure it> I.ngth withou' reg.ar<! to it! breadth,
length without breadth rubjee'ed to me","re i, <oiled _~ _ nOl tIt.o, there is my ou,h
'hing as lenglh without breadlh, but beeo .... my"ne who ""'os. res lbe length alone i.
»id '" measure a _~ . B"t wbe. bread'h i, me .."",d ,ogether with lengtlt it i, coiled
on .. ,,*,,, ... i~ while if depth i, brougbt into "",osurement .. well. oh"llother they <o ..titu.
It • body _ but we do oot tak. tlti. body in Ihe .e... thot we or< used 10 tak. ,he Illltural
lbody] les, wc should S<tm to be """'"ing to rub,,",,«."
What thi, m. an .... Eri"g." remarks, i, thal. unde, tit. ""e,ory of quantity. the "norms [of
mea.uring) ha •• their ,"ve",1 exi5ltnC. in geometrical bodi ... in which these Ihree <an be
sepa"'tely distincl; but they or< i.. eparably lS<Ociated in natural bodies, in which only by
the inlelle<l can quanlily be ,ep.""ed from ' UboWlC.","
The diff.ren« belWetn geometrical bodies and naNntl bodies i. thaI, in the g«lmmicol.
lenglh, b,eadth, and depth are "pa",ble _ in the .bslra<l _ from each <>Iher and from lhe
volum. ofwhicb they ... tit. limits; bu~ from Ih. naNral, Ihey ... nollh", "parabl. from
each otlt .. Or fTOm th. vol""", that Ihey qualify. The reason for Ihi., $0 Eriuge,.. .xplai"". i,
lG IIN.. 49 1EI·C. All """I .. ions from "'" F"ip~_ ott odap'.d Iiorn John O·Mean. Eri'ltn .. f'<ri~
....",. M.._tlWw.i"~ 1981, In "" ",,~ &;UI'" OIdi""';ly row .. tlJe G",k ""'.., fOf """""""e",
I l lbid.. 47M-418B.
ll/bid.. 41~0. The "" cited from OftI«>' ofNy ... ""'1 t>< round in De _I.is opi/i<i<> 24. PG 44. 21~D.
lllbid.. 4930. The ,<x,
dted f""" CCHJQM<.s.c- onay t>< f<>w>:l ;" M;nw>-p. lu<!lo. op. <il.. p. 149. n. 4-
"
14/biJ.. '930·C.
th.I, in natural bodies. the unity of geomelricII limilS is furnished ultimately by sub,tance
and thM. fot geomemca! bodies, the ... i. no suNtan!;,. unity at all by which their goome";-
cal properties neceuarily coher• .
In eitber case, Iiowe,-Cf, whether for bodies .atu"l Or goornetrical, the un"""" of measu_
ring" (rt/iUra.) Ire them$elves immaterial beings:
For the (Jeomelrieal) point. from which lhe line begins and in wbich ;, ends, i. neither !he
li... nor pan of thc lin<, bu, it> limit, and th< .. f"", i" place iJ nol perceived by ..""e bul
is not its begi .. ioS or i" end. Similarly, ' he line it•• lf .1 ... , ",'ioo.Uy con,idered, i. in-
corporeal, and i. the beginnillll ofa suffice. 1bc .un"e i. incorporeal too,."d i. the end
ef the lil\O bu, the be"Ming of I ..,lid. BUllhe ..,Iid . 1.., is in<orpo,.. I, and i. the end of
the perfection .fthe whol • . For wb.1ttve:r thtrt i. in th<>t th .. bodily .en,. h.. man.~ed
10 pp, that i.,,,,y point or li.e Or ' "rface or ..,lidity that i. vi,ible, ,urely <on,i,,, of
figure, of intorpoIe.1 ,hinll', not their tna substance. which i. incorp<>real. And .imilarly
in the c... of .. twal bodies, whether tbey are ...,ibl. by the proper mixinl:; of the el.·
men" of whi<h they oon,i" or . lude """",I pow... of perceptioo by their fUlcne ... the
limits oftlteir ..ture are perccived by the loteUeet a lone ,"
M "otm • .,lier and as ,hould be nOled .",in, Ari'IO,le hiTIl5tlf <10<, nOl equa'e the malter
nf <orpo ...1 beings wilh 'he i, geometric limits. that is, with whO!. in other contexts, h. <all,
"intelligible mane,":
I... ] ... memalle.i.perceptibl .
... doomeintellisible.percep.ible maHer bei", for in,w.:e
bro= and w<>nd and .11 maHer th., is oharrs.. ble, and intelligible matte, being that
whioh i. p.... n' in perceplible thiogs nOli. perceptible. that i•. th. ebj«ts of mathm13'
tia."
In otlt.. word" for Amlotle os ,eemingly for Eriugena, the maner of cotpOreal being' i.
""tended .. theie matler of magnilude; bul exten,ion i, nOl, allogetlter, whallheir man ... i•.
So, howe,·.r it may be that extension defin., co'l'o, .,,1 beingo. the dermitioM of corporeal
hemgs, as Eriugen. would c. rtainly have them. or< completely irrunal<riol."
Parenthetically. it should be remarked that, in the Calegories, 'he geometricol prop<rbe,
of objects art all predicat.d from the Calcg<lry of quality. and not from th.t of quantity." To
"'y, for exampl., Ihot on <>bjtet is lrianglll.. is to say what $On oflhing il is. nol how much.
And. wilh this, Eriugena i. iD agreement: «[... ] the number of dimensiorul and lines in ge"..
metrical bodi .. is .... ignod to qua.tity; but tlte anangemcnt and po,itico of ,ide, and angle,
and !he condilion$ oftlte $Urf,cc$ are • property of quo.lily [... J.""
Though AriStotl. nuintained th.t, without form, matler i. unknowabl .... Erius.na bel;'·
"e, that, in the absence of form and th ... in the absence of.1I definition. malter $Omehow
remaill> intelligible."
l~ lbid.. 4!lOO.c.
16 Ari"",". IJ<l<>physla Z, 10.IOJ609· 11,
11 St><-..Wil liam<, E.i"l'''''' p<ripJry""",. op. <il. . 48l0·C.
111 Aris'oU •• C~, I , 10>1 I· 17.
n Sll<ldon·Wd l....... Err_ p<ripJryuon. Gp. <~ . , 4'14<:.
J~ Ari .. ",I<, Unophpics 1.IO.1036.8·9.
J I Sbtl_.WiI!"' .... E~_p<ripJo_. op, <".. 4'>98,
" IackC.M ......
The il!,cWaible boml of maltef, .. Ibis i, rellteclln Ptriplryuon t, is with ",ftrUlte rltll
10 \be calqOries 0IId second 10 !be fOllllltioD of wJuo, Eriuaena tak .. 10 be the eJernmlS.
hI.u .., ronsidem:l in itself, is 1h< in<oo:j>O<ul principle of m1Jtabiliry in .U mucabl.
Ihinp. rruisoly 10 \be extem nf in bein& inleLli&il>l< ond IlOl eorporuI, mancr is omb; ...
different from iu ,oc'pli"';!), 10 fo,", and, with rerprd 10 form, i, is tborougbly paodectic:.
Itu,.. recep<ive 10 lIlY IIIId III forms "'ha_.....
Win. tef...."". w the ca•.,.,na. Eriu,.... ")'1Nl "'1lIe C&~ of matlCr is th. join;". of
quarl,ilY 0IId quality to subsWICe"." And 'his mlltler, ",bi<:b ,uulu from the <. "';lic.... of
.IIe$Ori'" i. ,h. malte, of corpore.1 being" "(n.J it i, Iba. form which is • speci.. of q",,'ily
,IuI" whtn ;\ i, joined 10 maner, prod .... . body. of which the lub,tance i, olioi~.""
Funhmnon:, as En"gen. al"" eI.ims, "[.n) it I. probable that what.ver ... ulu from
qUlnlily and qUllil)'. that 1o, eYe!)' qllanru",..,d every qUQI. , r..ei",. the cause of its "'lab.
\ilk .... n, from no olber source IbOD , ub.t.UH:e i!$elf, la which qUlnlily and quality 1b."...I.
Vel ..... hown n.tundly 10 occur," ill (!/'SI and p •• ,est _idents, and without which they
CA/IIIOI he.''''
In Eriua<c""', bnpl", I q"""'~" lo • I'tr«plible individual UDdc< the Ct.\eJOIlI of
quantily and • qll<rk lo I perceptible individulol undn the cotelO'Y or qual;ly. Unlik. quanli.
I... 8IId qualil .... wttidI are brinl illlll>alCriaUy. 9-'" """ !pfQIa are subjOC! 10
aperimmllbon and. as experi_ ......1 roval. !bey ... SIIbject 10 diYisiod. [0 IM fxt of
their boi", divisiblo. tbqr are fowod 10 he OOIlK"w • •• [ br •• f"", • body is 1>01 the quanoily of
.ub",No. but. q""""''''. JUS! .. the visiblo colour whim il perceived abou, • body is 1>01
.he qUllily of ........... -. but. quak C:OIIS,iN,ed in • ,-........ [... )....
SUMW><:C ;. 1>01 oorporeaJ but it is. nevn 'he less. the -...,bjee' or q...... ity &Dd of. ';VtD
q~"",u"," in wbich. by conjunction .... ith • q~alt, man ... is corpor.lliK<! primarily." For
corporul beina. q..anlity..,d q""lity on: each the _euary condi.ions upon the plalfonn of
'UM"",C.,
Corpore.1 bring i. di5linct from .uMllru:e in rh ... lpan from Ute ""c;dents of .ubot.noc.
it ha 110 being lull:
[ ... ] body. when Ihc _ideo" .... wiLhdno""". c:an by 00 _ ....100.., by itself s.inoe it i.
n(II WppofIed by lilYsubs~e ofi" ....... Fo< if you wi!h4now qUIDtily from body i' will
_"'I-
DOt be I body; for i, is held ........ r by the din .. nionr lOll number of i" oICn,be... Simi.
~iew ...... be IItat of the orher xc"""'"
So dial ""'ich .......... subs;" by iroelrwitlooru octidtGg
• lM bur theconcourso:of_ ..... : i . _ .
_t
Larly if_lake quality .... y from i~ wbat is left will be sbapeleu ODd
by """"do the body it Kat tu be Iocld~.
The ......
be ....1 -...:110 he -inI
Every <AA"",eo[ bei", is the """k or coo ..... ition nor ill sub$lonec brn """""'the _ _"
of II:MIIr,<;c throt ..., .., toIlobcnIive as, io ~ e..... 10 individUlte • quale in • 9"""1IIIIt.
Jl Ibid•• 49\18.j016.
Jl Ibld.. 49/;A.
) ' Ibld.. '958·C.
J5Ibld.. . 97 ....
"'bld.. '9M.
J1Ibld.. '9511.
ll/bId.. SO)8OC.
"
lA this rrain of tIrouJhI. !he principle of individUltion, with "'prd 10 corporeal heiolo irr nor
matter but, ;~. the COI'\i\lD"lioll or q:...llity and quality by wlricb miner lo corporalisa!.
Thac matter car>DOI be the principle of indMdUltiOll is, r... EriUIJOlll, provco Ilracly by !be
fit! of iu beina dissoluble. tbIt is, by !he fict of;IS heinS !he """'I'Ol;le rlfecl of ~_
prior 10 it in 1lte _idontal order of SIIb$1anc ....
Beea.... tbtn: is "'" conjWlC1ion _ I aecideto .. Ij*1 from :be ....uain;"1 etree" or
' UboI2OCC, it i. the imma,.,ial brina of lubSllntc Iha~ in !he lin.ol ..... ,)'Iil. lUmisbcs indivi·
dualily 10 ma.. rill thinI'. For gcntrlP"nl I q~~I. in I q"""",m. rlre ....... be 110 conj""",ian
&mOIlil its accidenlS with which lubsra .... dot. ""t eODCUr.
Even thlo. however. il nl>l the whol. or the EriuiI.nean Iccount of ...."., under .M cote·
&Qries. In order IQ obu",e the full weight or cl lell"rical explanl lion. "''""thina remo; ... 10
I>c . I id ooncern;"1 maner a I topic of phYlkal "denc •.
Malter.... ha.< been ooted, i. the pri ... iple ofmutahility in all murabl. Ihinllt. And. for
Eri"ge"... mutobility is verified in :be circular;';'" of the ele"","IS _ earth, fire .•i•• and w:l:er
- from """ attemt of the world 10 the od>or." ~ rh .... t ... ] i. i. from rh. coneo\I .... and
commingling of !he fo..nlements of this world !ha: the mwer ofbodi.. is made. by .... hkh,
when wh:a!..ver form fronr qUlllly is added, !he finished body is prod: .. ed .....
The LOIt1ef of _IM .. I be"", is ~ iclatlified with the elemen" !hot, in orller 10 M.
come "",,,,,,al. require f<>mlll cnrichrneoI &cm 1be ca.egooy or quality. h irr. thoerd_ in
!be eleu .."" and ill !heir activity :hat Ihe En..... ,,,,,,,,a...,
n ulli ..... ely 10 he found.
In this ~d, i, should be recalled th:at. in ~ioII """ Cotnoplioll. "';soorl. - to.
very &<>Od ......,., - rcjecle(l E"'IlCdotles' deoil""tion of earth, r" •• lir. and _ as ek--
menlS and, inslead coiled rtoem -,impl. bodies" which. however simple u bodicl. I .. con·
venibl •• and at. th ... disJoluhl .. cach inlo!he other. It is their very convonibility th.~ ro.
... ristorl •• makes theIll1(> M """",'hinS '""'" than olemental.~
The phy.ic. 1"Coon! or mo"e •. u Eri"senl conveys i., i. nor diff.ren. rrom hi. upll"..·
lion of Mw ma lt'r is "O"'tiMed under ph. C.lcgon., of qu.mli<y and qualily:
I... ]:hey rlrink we ore ioinl 'pi"'t .......1,.. and .... king . ffumalioos which.re ~on! ..·
diclOlY and wbicb """nic: with our OWl! "Pillion when at ODe [lOin. w ...y tha: mart ... i.
produced by rh< COftCO\.Or$t of the rour .Ierne"". ~ _ e r that :he ausc of marter I. !he
joiDinl of qumrioy ODd quality 50 ·:MI..... No< is rh;' Slnngt. for rIocy do no! know tha:
the el<menl5 of rbio -w __ :,.,. ed ofnortoiac bul!be ",*"",... orthe of_id_
cideoIS of . "M""< •. Fo< rue it po : t, : d by doe coo.j....uc. or heat ...., dq u. air by
IbM of Iocol ...., "..,;,.,' ... water by !hat of moio __ ODd cold, arth by that of <>DId _
<iQ: """ IiIIce "'"" qualities ...hich ..,.,... Lotttb<o .., M by rIocmsc...." be: .. t ..
monifat, qumrioy ouppIiet ....... with . , _ ,"',,' ill whieb \hey CIII mob: I SCDSiblo . .
..... _ .. Fm .,......icy is. u i. _ , I _ mbjot:l .fter ...hIwH"c. ODd that is vrhy i, irr
plated finr aIIcr i. in Ihe onItt of C05<..,n.s. IUtooo .nrbour quanri<y ..... iI)' ..,....,. \octo.
me manif.... Theref", •• if the .klPlCUPI ore mode f""" quatLlioy ...., quali<y, and the b0-
dies Me rnodt I'rnm rhe .Iements, rhen tooWes are [pnxh.>ccd] r..... q..... ioy ...., qualily."
J' /bf</.. 476(--'11C.
010 Ibid.• 49lD.
4: For this. KO ....f,.., fi........n 1:0 !look I of Ni".,.",. a...n~,.,.. ..... C...,...,..... Of. ,/1.
'l Sheldoa-Willioms, £rIwfm--~. Of. <It.• • 951:--'% ....
 JockC, MOfI<r

Each of the Eriugen<an elem<nt. originate. by the conjuncti~n ofqualit ie, which, ill them_
.elve., ore being immateri.lly ""d whioh, by r.a li",tion . . . quale in conjunction with •
quantum, resull! ill the production of some corporeal being unifiro by .ub'tance. Thlll mat-
lor, in lrly =e, .p~ to be idenlified with qualified quantities.".1, accordingly, is iodivi_
duahud in the category of quantily which, as !!.riuge... nOles, i. the "second subjecl after
sul>Sl"""e".
To.n Ari.lOtelian, thi. manner ohpeoking may . oem to be in conflict wilh wh.t is .. id
in Physics I 10 the eITect that maller i, the "primMy ,ubject of each thing, from which il
com<' to be, and i. subsisting inhe rently, nol acciokntllUy","
Because, as Eriugena think., the qualitie. under which matter i. eon.tituted or< ,uch ..
to exi.t separately - apan from matter if not from .ub'tance - and btta ... e there i$ no matter
that i. not evident a. a quail/urn u"okr quality, it i. !KIt p"55;ble to eonjecM' that any matter
can be di.covered .t all in the calegory of substanoe. So, a. thougb to ech~ Ammani ... , Erl_
ugeno cl.ims that matter i. to be found in ''the $<tood ,ubj «tafter ,ub.tance",that io, in the
catcgory of quantity,
Ammoniu" however, in conuasllo Erlugena, does not argue that it i. the c.tegory of
quantity that, as 3 category and with reference to substance, play. the role of. "second sub·
j«!" , What rn, ")'0, i",tead, i. that the "second 'ubjecr is the m>!Ier that has beeom< the
"quantified composite". And, ""en if the quantified composite belongs to the catcgory of
quantity, Ammoniu. seems to rogord the ca ..gory of sub<tanc:e .. the residence of prime
matter."
For both Arnmoni"" and Eriugena, ,au.. lily procceds frQm uni"etsllls to patliculan. tIld.
for that reason and for them, the principal con"ituentS of every category are the unive ....I•.
Althougb Ammonius accords 10 matter the status of . marginal ,ubJlOnce such that substan-
Ce remaio. predicable of man er, this appears not to be so with Eriugcna who, from the cate-
gory of .ubstance, ..cludes matte' completely. For him, quantity and quality - bill not sub·
,lOnce - are su<h as to be predicable of mltter.
Eriugcna, who doeS not have =" to the Corpus ArUlal"lieum, C3n •• poci.lly be .cen
10 have re<:<:ived the dQctrine of catcgori .. not only as • th<:<>ry about predic.tes but 01.0 as •
theory .boUl physic" A. Eriugena W<luld have it, the f.,.,,,,, of an experimental physics
should be on the conteol! of the category of quantity such as mu.t reducc physics to lhe
soi.""e of mechanics. And thi., as some h ist~ri ... of science may think, i. to anticipate the
history of physics - as indeed as it has been - not in the aftermath of Eriugena but, instead,
in """'<queoce of the C3reer of Oalil<o.

4J M ....... I'hyl." t,9.t92.32·)4. Tht ($«. 1nl io;' NiolOli<, n.., PhY';u, ed. Ill<! ....... F"",,;, M,
Cornf.,... l '011, Cambridl<, M~hLllO" t'IW, Th< ...,.,Wion io .......
" 0. "'" top" of""ncr os r"" &Dd second wb:i«1, ... Rkhud Sonbji, _"" , Sfx>«, «><I _km: 111«>-
,i., in A~'!I' ",,,rr,,,v Scq...J, Ithoca, N"" YorI; 1991, pp, 9, 2J·26.