On Physics

original: "Phyſicorum"

Spiritual; corporal universal; corporal particular ungenerable meaning: indestructible or eternal; corporal particular generable; and artificial. These relate to one another in this way: just as the generable is simpler than the artificial, so the ungenerable is simpler than the generable; and just as the universal is simpler than the ungenerable, so the spiritual is simpler than the universal. Indeed, to speak more truly, it is infinitely more so, since it has no proportion to it. For everything that is proportionable to something else, if taken a certain number of times, equals it; but corporal matter, even if taken infinitely, does not create the spiritual.

On Privation. Chapter 4.

original: "De priuatione. Capi. iiii."

Having spoken of matter, we must speak of privation Privation refers to the absence of a quality or form that a subject is naturally capable of having, which can be defined thus: privation is the absence of form along with the aptitude of matter for that form. I say "aptitude of matter for form" because of the ungenerable bodies referring to the celestial spheres in Aristotelian cosmology in whose matter there is no privation, since it is not in potentiality for any other form. For in eternal things, "to be possible" does not differ from "to be." As Aristotle says in the second book of the Physics. And note that since privation is an accident of matter, a twofold privation is distinguished: namely, natural and artificial.

On Form. Chapter 5.

original: "De forma. Capitulum. v."

Next follows form, concerning which it must first be noted: there is a certain form abstracted entirely from matter and from the conditions of matter, such as motion, position, and place; and the Metaphysician considers this. There is also form abstracted from matter, but not from the conditions of matter; and the Mathematician considers this. There is also form not abstracted from matter and the conditions of matter; and the Physicist Natural Philosopher considers this, which is one of the principles of natural philosophy. This form, as Aristotle says at the end of the first book of the Physics, is something divine, and best, and desirable. He calls it "divine" because form gives being, in which everything that exists is likened to God. He calls it "best" because none of the three principles Matter, Form, and Privation is better. He calls it "desirable" because it is desired by matter; but it desires neither matter nor privation, as Aristotle says in the same place. And note that "form" is said in many ways. For form is called "perfection," and according to this, a substance can be called a form, just as the soul is the perfection of a physical organic body. Form is also called "informing" or "inherent," and such form is defined in the Book of the Six Principles A medieval logical text attributed to Gilbert de la Porrée: form is that which comes to a composition, consisting of a simple and invariable essence. He says "simple" because every form, as far as it is in itself, is simple. Furthermore, it is of an "invariable essence" because if it were variable, it could receive another form upon itself, and thus it would be a subject matter and not a form; or it is called "simple" to distinguish it from a composite. It is called "invariable" to distinguish it from matter. Form is also called, as it were, "remaining outside" original: "foris manens," a medieval etymology for "forma", and according to this, it is called a paradigm form, that is, an exemplar. Form di—

paradigm, that is, an exemplar