Kungoku nje, igama lee-substance lithathwa njengegama kwaye ligcwele wonke umhlaa. umbono wokuqala unxulumene nolwazi nge-substance oluvela nkokwe-ontoloji, iintsika zolu lwazi ngoo- (Francis Bacon, Benedict Spinoza, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz). Elona candelo lemetaphysics kwi-substance yefilosofi yaziwa ngokuba yileyo inoThixo nendalo kwaye ithathwa nje ngezidalileyo (i-Latin causa sui). Ezona mpawu ze-substance zivela ku-Benedict Spinoza kwaye ziyacinga ziphinde zistretch-e. Ngokwe-analogy, ngefilosofi ye-substance ka-Benedict Spinoza ibonwa ngokwesigama sika-René Descartes no-Leibniz. I-substance yokuqala kukudibana kwento leyo yenzayo (i-subject) kunye naloo kwenziwa kuyo into (i-object), eyesibini - ii-toms ezifanayo zizinto nje ezingasanwabulukiyo, kodwa zifumana iimpawu eziziiaspirations (Fr. appetition) kunye no-kwanda.Siyabulela, i-substance ye-Leibniz iqala ukunxulumana ne-matter.