Leiden University Student Repository

El-Kabary, Amina (2025)

Lost in Translation: The Shaping of Prime Matter in Arabic Tradition

Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)

This thesis investigates how translation shapes philosophical interpretation by examining the transmission of Aristotle’s concept of prime matter from Greek into Arabic. Focusing on the Arabic versions of Aristotle’s Physics, De Caelo, and Metaphysics, this study identifies lexical and conceptual deviations from the Greek that could alter the understanding of prime matter. To assess their impact, the thesis analyses how Ibn Rushd (Averroes), who relied on these translations in his long commentaries, engages with these passages. The findings show that although Ibn Rushd already held a developed view of prime matter, several Arabic renderings actively reinforced traditional interpretations and shaped his philosophical exposition. The study argues that translation is not a neutral medium of transmission but an active agent in the development of philosophical concepts. It contributes to both translation studies and the history of prime matter in the Arabic and medieval traditions.

Prime Matter

Commentary Tradition

Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement

Ibn Rushd

Author

El-Kabary, Amina

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Classics

Supervisors

Haas, F.A.J. de

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en