Is form a quality? No: form is a reason. Now what is constituted by
(material) substance, and reason? (In the warm body) it is neither what
burns, nor what is visible; it is quality. If, however, it be said that
combustion is an act emanating from reason, that being hot and white
are actualities, we could not find anything to explain quality.
QUALITIES ARE ACTS OF BEING, PROCEEDING FROM REASONS AND ESSENTIAL
POTENTIALITIES.
What we call a complement of being should not be termed a quality,
because they are actualizations of being, actualizations which proceed
from the reasons and the essential potentialities. Qualities are
therefore something outside of being; something which does not at times
seem to be, and at other times does not seem not to be qualities;
something which adds to being something that is not necessary; for
example, virtues and vices, ugliness and beauty, health, and individual
resemblance. Though triangle, and tetragon, each considered by itself,
are not qualities; yet being "transformed into triangular appearance"
is a quality; it is not therefore triangularity, but triangular
formation, which is a quality. The same could be said of the arts
and professions. Consequently, quality is a disposition, either
adventitious or original, in already existing beings. Without it,
however, being would exist just as much. It might be said that quality
is either mutable or immutable; for it forms two kinds, according to
whether it be permanent or changeable.