Philosopher

Prima materia

Overview

In alchemy and philosophy, prima materia, materia prima, or first matter, is the ubiquitous starting material required for the alchemical magnum opus and the creation of the philosopher's stone. It is the primitive formless base of all matter similar to chaos, the quintessence or aether. Esoteric alchemists describe the prima materia using simile, and compare it to concepts like the anima mundi.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Philosophers who discussed Prima materia

• Ramon Llull

Ideas Prima materia discusses

• Hylomorphism
• Anaxagoras
• Aether (classical element)
• Aristotle
• Nous
• Cosmogony
• Alchemy
• Empedocles
• Arnaldus de Villa Nova

Place in the tradition

Part of Materialism.

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