Aristotle rejected the Platonic dualism of material things and ideas. He believed that ideas "do not contribute in any way or to learn about other things [...] or to explain their existence, because they are not in individual things that participate in them how to lose weight fast.

In place of Platonic dualism, however, was different: matter and form. The form was the equivalent of Plato's ideas, but not as a separate, independent existence, and as something suitable shape and form of matter - for the resin. The relationship between form and matter so you can imagine how the relationship between vessel and water, or a clay potter's fingers. This view, called hilemorfizmem, was then taken over by medieval Thomism.

Forms, in principle, can not exist without matter, on the other hand the same matter without form does not have its shape, color, movement and other characteristics, would be pure chaos. So we know from the experience of the world is an indivisible combination of matter and idea-forms. The ratio of form and matter (entelechy) defines the characteristics of the thing, in the case of living beings that determines their targeted nature.

Aristotle contributed to the development of atomic theory, claiming that all matter is composed of the same continuous primary substance.
The hierarchy of beings [edit]

This concept fits well to explain the phenomenon of occurrence of the ontological hierarchy of beings. Hierarchical Aristotle noticed this especially in the animated world, where there exists a sequence of creatures from the simplest to most complex. Aristotle explained the hierarchy of the degree of participation form and matter in a separate being. What in your being is more mold (it is more complex) and the less matter, that it occupies a higher place in the hierarchy. And so: inanimate entities such as the stone contain a great deal of matter and they have a very simple and immobile form. Plants have a more complex form, which is subject to slow change. Animals are even more complex form, which gives them the opportunity to move and respond to change. Finally, people have a very complex form called the soul, which has a unique characteristic of being aware of itself.