Matter is a key category in the history of philosophy. Since ancient times, there has been a debate about the relationship between mind and matter, and with the rise of modern natural sciences, the complexity of this debate has further increased: Matter is now increasingly being dynamized, even dematerialized. This volume presents central texts related to this discussion, ranging from Anaxagoras and Aristotle to Albert Einstein, Willard Van Orman Quine, and Judith Butler. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of philosophical and scientific engagements with the concept and phenomenon of matter, illustrating how the former has also become a central category in cultural studies, such as in the fields of text studies, gender studies, or material and object culture.