In this thread, I will say a few things about the meanings of the words 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭.

I am not speaking primarily in a moral context or making moral evaluations. I simply want to point out how these words are used technically in philosophy and theology.

1) 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮 and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 as a pair are concepts taken from Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle.

2) They are translations (from Greek through Latin) of words meaning "shape" (𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮) and "lumber" / "stuff that you make things out of" (𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳)

3) E.g., on an observational level, in a marble statue, the figure is the 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 and the marble of which it is made is the 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.

4) In philosophy and theology, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 are taken generally to mean "the determining element" and "the determined element."

5) 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮 and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 are thus applied by analogy in many ways.

6) For example, in theology, we sometimes speak of the form and matter of sacraments. In baptism, the words are the form and the washing with water is the matter.

7) The adjectives 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 mean "having to do with the form" and "having to do with the matter."

8) The distinction between formal and material elements is similar to that between intension and extension.

9) One and the same thing can be considered both in terms of what defines it (formal aspect) and in terms of what it is actually made up of (material aspect).

10) E.g., a birthday cake can be considered precisely as a celebratory dessert (formal) but also as an assembly of eggs, flour, sugar, etc. (material).

11) E.g., a list of numbers can be considered precisely as "the odds between 1 and 10" (formal) or as "1,3,5,7,9" (material).

12) Again, "formal" and "material" are applied by analogy to many different kinds of things.

13) "Formal" thus often means "with reference to the defining characteristic," while "material" often means "with reference to the stuff that the formal aspect extends to."

14) In the case of human choices, the formal aspect includes the fact of an action's being chosen. The material aspect focuses only on the action as a physical event.

15) E.g., "theft" (formal) versus "moving these money bags from here to there" (material).

16) Why? Because in human choices, voluntariness is the defining characteristic. When we speak with reference to that, we are speaking about the human act formally. When we speak with reference to it only as a physical occurrence, we are speaking about it materially.

17) Importantly, a distinction between "formal" and "material" aspects of a thing or event can usually be made on multiple levels.

18) E.g., from one perspective the shape of the cake (form) and its ingredients (matter). From another perspective, the fact that it's a 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺 cake (form) and the fact that it's a cake (matter).

19) To apply a distinction between formal and material aspects, then, we first have to know what vantage point we're using, what our focus is. Why? Because the formal aspect will be whatever is most defining from that perspective.