Inqaku lesibini ngokumalunga nombono onge-substance - yindlela e-epistemological eliqondwa ngayo eli gama lithi substance, iizinto elinokukwazi ukuzisingatha kwakunye nemfuneko yolwazi ngobunzululwazi, (uJohn Locke, David Hume). U-Immanuel Kant ukholelwa kwinto yokokuba umthetho naphantsi kwaluphi na utshintsho oluthi lwenzeke kwinto yesiganeko eso kwaye nenani lezinto elithi lizigcine kulo ngokwendalo ziyinto efanayo, zingahlonyelwa k""mava afanayo."" U-Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel uyichaza i-substance njengesidima sotshintsho, ukuguquka kwezinto, njengolona ""tshintsho lukhulu xa kusiya kukhula umnqweno."" Ngokuka-Arthur Schopenhauer i-substance - i-matter ngokukaDavid Hume - imbali engeyiyo inyaniso, the izinto ezibekho ngaxesha nye.