Abstract

Aristotle introduced the notion of matter to Greek philosophy. His use of the term ὕλη was essentially original, and he was the first to explore this ὕλη thematically and theoretically. Why, though, did he introduce the notion of matter? It is important to note that Aristotle first invokes ὕλη, and first lays out what he means by it, in discussions about causes. In fact, Aristotle’s interest in matter is as a cause, as responsible for the way things are, not as a kind of independent entity.