Aquinas on Matter and Form and the Elements: A Translation and Interpretation of the De Principiis Naturae and the De Mixtione Elementorum of St. Thomas Aquinas

by Joseph Bobick

Joseph Bobik offers a translation of Aquinas’s De Principiis Naturae (circa 1252) and De Mixtione Elementorum (1273) accompanied by a continuous commentary, followed by two “Elements in the Composition of Physical Substances” and “The Elements in Aquinas and the Elements Today.” The Principles of Nature introduces the reader to the basic Aristotelian principles such as matter and form, the four causes so fundamental to Aquinas’s philosophy. On Mixture of the Elements examines the question of how the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) remain within the physical things composed from them.

Genres: Philosophy

348 pages, cloth

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobik gives us a very readable translation of two of Aquinas's metaphysical/natural philosophical works, with the original Latin above each translated passage. His commentary often repeats what was said in the text, but it also expands the text to give the reader a broader understanding of Aquinas's views. I found some of my questions answered by Bobik's articles, some of which relate Thomism to today's science.