26. What is most shocking in the Stoic doctrine, is that they assign
the first rank to what is only a potentiality, matter, instead of
placing actualization before potentiality.[285] It is impossible for
the potential to pass to actualization if the potential occupy the
first rank among beings. Indeed, the potential could never improve
itself; and it implies the necessary anteriority of actualization;
in which case potentiality is no longer a principle. Or, if it be
insisted that actualization and potentiality must be simultaneous,
both principles will be found depending on chance. Besides, even if
actualization be contemporaneous with potentiality, why should not the
first rank be assigned to actualization? Why should this (matter) be
an essence, rather than those (forms)? Whoever asserts that form is
posterior bears the burden of proof; for matter does not beget form,
and quality could not arise from what has no quality; nor actualization
from what is potential; otherwise, actualization would have existed
anteriorly, even in the system of the Stoics. According to them, even
God is no longer simple: He is posterior to matter; for He is a body
constituted by form and matter.[286] Whence then does He derive His
form? If the divinity exist without matter, He is incorporeal, by
virtue of His being principle and reason, and the active principle
would thus be incorporeal. If, even without having matter, the divinity
be composite in essence, by virtue of His body, the Stoics will have to
postulate some other kind of matter which may better suit the divinity.
MATTER IS NOT A BODY "WITHOUT QUALITY, BUT WITH MAGNITUDE" (A STOIC
DEFINITION).
Besides, how could matter be the first Principle, if it be a body?
If the body of which the Stoics speak be of another nature, then
matter can be called a body only figuratively.[287] If they say that
the common property of the body is to have three dimensions, they
are speaking of the mathematical body. If on the contrary they join
impenetrability to the three dimensions, they are no more talking about
something simple. Besides, impenetrability is a quality, or is derived
from a quality; but what is the source of impenetrability? Whence comes
tri-dimensional extension? Who endued matter with extension? Matter,
indeed, is not contained in the idea of tri-dimensional extension
any more than the latter is contained in the notion of matter.
Consequently, since matter thus participates in size,[288] it is no
longer a "simple" matter.