John Philoponus’ New Definition of Prime Matter: Aspects of Its Background in Neoplatonism and the Ancient Commentary Tradition

About the Author Frans A.J. de Haas, Ph.D. (1995) in Ancient Philosophy, University of Leiden, is currently a visiting scholar at the Institute of Classical Studies, London. He has published articles and reviews in the field of ancient philosophy, with special emphasis on the Neoplatonic commentaries on Aristotle. Product Description This is the first full discussion of Philoponus' account of matter. It is shown here that philosophical problems in Neoplatonism motivated the definition of prime matter as three-dimensional extension, and that Plotinus, Syrianus, and Proclus prepared the way for Philoponus.