Along with these divisions one can consider another general...

Along with these divisions one can consider another general and primary division for all existents, and that is the division between the immaterial ( mujarrad ) and the material; that is, entified existence is either corporeal and possessing corporeal attributes, in which case it is called material, or it is not of this class and is called ‘immaterial.’ This classification is not specific to contingent existence, for one of its classes, the immaterial, includes the Necessary Existent.

Likewise, it is not specific to substance or accident, for both the immaterial and the material can be substance or accident. For example, souls and completely immaterial things are non-material substances, and bodies are in the class of material substances, and qualities of the soul are immaterial accidents while sensible qualities are material accidents.

In this Part, we are considering this very classification, and after explaining the concepts of its categories we will state their general characteristics, and then we will set out to explain their sub-categories and the principles of these. In addition, we will also take up the discussion of substance and accident.

The Meaning of ‘Immaterial’ and ‘Material’ The term mujarrad (immaterial) is the passive participle of tajrīd meaning ‘to be stripped,’ and this meaning brings to mind the idea that something which has clothing or a skin is peeled and made naked.

But in philosophical terminology this term is used as the opposite of ‘material,’ and what is meant is an existent which does not have the characteristics of material things, and there is no intention here to indicate that something was previously material and that it was stripped of this state or of anything else and it actually means ‘immaterial.’ Hence, in order to understand its exact meaning, the meaning of the term ‘material’ must first be clarified.

Considering that this term is related to ‘matter’ ( māddah ), we must explain the meaning of the term ‘matter.’ The meaning of māddah (matter) is etymologically ‘helper’ ( madad konandeh ) and ‘extender’ ( imtidād dehandeh ), and as a scientific term is employed in several senses. Logicians call the quality of the relation between the subject and predicate of a proposition with regard to reality (necessity, contingency, impossibility) the ‘matter’ [mode] of the proposition.

Also, the propositions which constitute a syllogism, disregarding their form and structure, are called the matter of the syllogism.