Substance

Definition

Substance refers to the fundamental, underlying reality or essence of something, often contrasted with its outward appearance or qualities. In philosophy, the concept of substance is central to understanding the nature of reality and the composition of things.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Substance is often understood as that which underlies and supports the observable qualities or accidents of a thing.
2. Aristotle's concept of substance distinguishes between primary substances (individual things) and secondary substances (universal categories or kinds).
3. Descartes' dualism posited two distinct substances: material substance (res extensa) and thinking substance (res cogitans).
4. Spinoza's monism identified a single, infinite substance (God or Nature) as the fundamental reality underlying all existence.
5. Substance is a key concept in metaphysics, as it relates to questions of what is real, what exists, and the nature of reality.

Review Questions

• Explain Aristotle's distinction between primary and secondary substances.
  • According to Aristotle, primary substances are individual, concrete things or entities, such as a particular person or animal. These are the fundamental building blocks of reality. Secondary substances, on the other hand, are the universal categories or kinds to which these individual things belong, such as the species 'human' or 'horse'. Primary substances are the underlying subjects that possess the accidents or properties, while secondary substances describe the general nature or essence of the primary substances.
• Describe Descartes' dualistic view of substance.
  • Descartes' metaphysical framework posited the existence of two fundamentally distinct substances: material substance (res extensa) and thinking substance (res cogitans). Material substance refers to the physical, extended world of objects, while thinking substance refers to the non-physical realm of the mind, consciousness, and thought. This dualistic view of substance was a key aspect of Descartes' philosophy, which sought to explain the relationship between the mind and the physical body.
• Analyze Spinoza's conception of substance and how it differs from other philosophical views.
  • Spinoza's metaphysical system was grounded in a radical monism, in which he identified a single, infinite substance as the fundamental reality underlying all existence. This substance, which Spinoza equated with God or Nature (Deus sive Natura), was the sole, self-caused entity from which all other things and modes of being emanate. Spinoza's view differed significantly from Descartes' dualism, as well as Aristotle's distinction between primary and secondary substances, by positing a single, all-encompassing substance as the foundation of reality.

Related terms

Accident: In philosophical terms, an accident refers to the qualities or properties of a substance that are not essential to its identity or existence.

Essence:

The essential nature of a thing, that which makes it what it is, the core or underlying reality of a substance.

Attribute: A quality, characteristic, or property that belongs to the nature or definition of a substance.