Hylem

Hylem is a term used in Aristotelian and related philosophical traditions to denote the material principle in a hylomorphic account of substances. In this framework, objects are considered unions of matter and form, where matter provides potentiality and form supplies actuality and organization. Hylem specifically refers to the matter component of a concrete substance, not the form that shapes or defines it.

In Aristotle’s account, substances are composites of matter and form. The matter (hyle) is the underlying substratum that persists through change, while the form (morphē) gives the thing its definitive structure and properties. Some discussions further distinguish between prime matter, a pure substratum with no determinate qualities, and the matter of a particular substance, which already bears certain features (for example, bronze as the material hylem of a bronze statue). The form, by contrast, is what makes the matter into a specific kind of thing.

The concept of hylem has had a lasting influence on metaphysics, natural philosophy, and the philosophy of mind. It provided a framework for understanding how change can occur without the complete dissolution of a thing’s identity, and it shaped medieval scholastic accounts of substance, causation, and persistence. Critics have challenged hylomorphic explanations from mechanistic or materialist perspectives, while some modern discussions revisit the interplay of substance, composition, and explanation in light of contemporary metaphysics.

See also: hyle, hylomorphism, form, matter, prime matter, substantial form.