Commentary on the First Three Books of Aristotle's Physics

Since there are two parts of Philosophy according to the opinion of Aristotle, of which one is engaged in the contemplation of things, the other in action: Aristotle placed all his study and all his effort especially in that part which is of contemplation: for indeed it makes it so that we know the nature of things, because they are. And since philosophy, which is placed in contemplation, is divided into three parts, so that one is natural, the other divine, the third mathematical, he himself was engaged mostly in natural, both because it is more related to our nature: and truly because many even before Aristotle diligently treated the divine and the mathematical.

How privation is a maleficence, he proves to these. For since it is a certain divine thing, he speaks however about formal matter. And so that no one could suspect that he spoke about the first divine and desirable good, he added to this, the other is contrary to it. But to the first nothing is contrary. Therefore he calls the formal matter divine, divine I say since it proceeds from God himself, good also since it is good for each thing to be. But we said that privation is contrary to the form, since it itself is the cause why something is not, but if privation is opposed to the good, therefore it itself is evil. But matter is not contrary to form, since it desires it as the ugly desires the beautiful, and as the female desires the male. For just as it participates in ugliness, I say i.e., in privation itself, so it desires the good, since it is adorned and decorated by it.

He proves with these words how privation brings evil. For since, he says, it is a certain divine thing, which he himself calls form in matter, lest anyone should suspect that he spoke about the first, he said, a certain divine thing, and good, and to be sought: to which he says that there is indeed a contrary: but to the first nothing is contrary. Therefore he calls the form in matter divine in this place. And divine indeed, because it proceeds from God, because the essence of each is good. But we say that privation is contrary to the form: because it itself is the cause why a thing is not. But if privation is contrary to the good, therefore privation is evil. But matter is not contrary to the form, if indeed matter desires the form as a thing that is ugly desires beauty, and the female [desires] the male. For matter, as if a participant of ugliness, this is of privation, thus seeks beauty, since it is adorned by it.