Master Argument for Prime Matter

1. Some kind of individuator is required in every conceivable world by Aristotelian realism, whenever there are two or more members of an infima species.
2. Given the isotropy of space, spatially symmetrical universes are conceivable.
3. Spatially symmetrical material substances are conceivable.
4. Given 2 and 3, there are conceivable worlds in which there are multiple parts of substances which belong to the sane infima species and which cannot be individuated their history or external relations
5. Given 1 and 4, Aristotelians must associate bare individuators with every spatially circumscribable part of any material substance. We can call these ‘bits of prime matter’.[1]
6. If matter is continuous, and prime materials are associated with every spatial part of every material substance, then the prime materials should be quasi-gunky (lacking atomic, indivisible potential parts).
7. If a material substance has prime materials associated with every spatial part, then each prime material should be the bearer of any physical quantities (e.g., rest mass, net charge, density) associated with that spatial part.
8. Matter is continuous, and physical quantities are associated with each spatially circumscribed part of a material substance.
9. The prime materials should be quasi-gunky and the bearers of spatially located physical quantities. (From 5-8)
10. Many quantities, including rest mass and net charge, are conserved through all intrinsic natural changes, including substantial changes (generation, corruption, assimilation, extrusion).
11. If it were possible to create new material bodies ex nihilo (and to annihilate material bodies ad nihilum) by natural processes, the conservation of physical quantities (and the associated symmetries) would involve coincidences that are difficult to explain.
12. To rule out such natural creation and annihilation, we must postulate that something persists through all substantial change.
13. The only plausible candidates for the survivor through all substantial change are prime materials.
14. We should hypothesize that prime materials persist through all cases of substantial change (From 10-13)
15. Given the persistence of prime matter, the conservation of certain quantities (like rest mass, net charge, baryon number) is best explained by postulating that each prime material bears specifically[2] the same rest mass, etc. through all natural changes.
16. Bits of space and spacetime do not bear specifically the same quantity of rest mass and charge through all natural changes.
17. Prime materials should not be identified with bits of space or spacetime. (From 15-16)
18. Persistence through intrinsic change must be permitted by some nature possessed by the persistent entity prior to the change,
19. If prime materials are not identified with bits of space or spacetime, then prime materials do not possess in themselves the sort of nature that would permit persistence through any intrinsic change.
20. The only nature that a prime material possesses through something else derives from the substantial form that informs it.
21. The persistence of prime materials through substantial change is permitted by the substantial form that informs the prime material prior to the change. (From 11, 17-20)

[1] A prime material is the same thing as what I’ve called a bit or parcel of prime matter.

[2] It might be even simpler to postulate that each prime material bears numerically the same quantitative accident through all changes, but hylomorphists can’t go this far. When a prime material undergoes substantial change across species, numerically distinct accidents must be generated.