Potentiality and actuality
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Revision as of 22:48, 13 March 2011 Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) ← Previous diff |
Current revision Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
+ | In [[philosophy]], '''Potentiality and Actuality''' are principles of a dichotomy which [[Aristotle]] used throughout his philosophical works to analyze [[motion]], [[four causes|causality]], [[Aristotelian ethics|ethics]], and [[physiology]] in his ''[[Aristotelian physics|Physics]]'', ''[[Metaphysics (Aristotle)|Metaphysics]]'', ''[[Aristotelian Ethics|Ethics]]'' and ''[[De Anima]]'' (which is about the human [[psyche]]). | ||
+ | |||
+ | The concept of potentiality, in this context, generally refers to any "possibility" that a thing can be said to have. Aristotle did not consider all possibilities the same, and emphasized the importance of those that become real of their own accord when conditions are right and nothing stops them. Actuality, in contrast to potentiality, is the motion, change or activity that represents an exercise or fulfillment of a possibility, when a possibility becomes real in the fullest sense. | ||
+ | |||
+ | These concepts, in modified forms, remained very important into the [[middle ages]], influencing the development of [[medieval theology]] in several ways. Going further into [[modern times]], while the understanding of [[Nature (philosophy)|nature]] (and, according to some interpretations, [[deity]]) implied by the dichotomy lost importance, the terminology has found new uses, developing indirectly from the old. This is most obvious in words like "[[energy]]" and "[[dynamic]]" (words brought into modern physics by Leibniz) but also in examples such as the biological concept of an "[[Potentiality and actuality#Entelecheia in modern philosophy and biology|entelechy]]". | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
- | * [[Actual infinity]] | + | *[[Actual infinity]] |
- | * [[Dunamis]] | + | *[[Actus Purus]] |
- | * [[Energeia]] | + | *[[Alexander of Aphrodisias]] |
- | * [[Entelechy]] | + | *[[First cause]] |
- | * [[Hexis]] | + | *[[Henosis]] |
- | * [[Plotinus]] | + | *[[Hylomorphism]] |
- | * [[Potential infinity]] | + | *[[Hypostasis]] |
+ | *[[Metaxy]] | ||
+ | *[[Ontology]] | ||
+ | *[[Ousia]] | ||
+ | *[[Sumbebekos]] | ||
+ | *[[Theosis]] | ||
+ | *[[Unmoved movers]] | ||
{{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} |
Current revision
Related e |
Featured: |
In philosophy, Potentiality and Actuality are principles of a dichotomy which Aristotle used throughout his philosophical works to analyze motion, causality, ethics, and physiology in his Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics and De Anima (which is about the human psyche).
The concept of potentiality, in this context, generally refers to any "possibility" that a thing can be said to have. Aristotle did not consider all possibilities the same, and emphasized the importance of those that become real of their own accord when conditions are right and nothing stops them. Actuality, in contrast to potentiality, is the motion, change or activity that represents an exercise or fulfillment of a possibility, when a possibility becomes real in the fullest sense.
These concepts, in modified forms, remained very important into the middle ages, influencing the development of medieval theology in several ways. Going further into modern times, while the understanding of nature (and, according to some interpretations, deity) implied by the dichotomy lost importance, the terminology has found new uses, developing indirectly from the old. This is most obvious in words like "energy" and "dynamic" (words brought into modern physics by Leibniz) but also in examples such as the biological concept of an "entelechy".
See also
- Actual infinity
- Actus Purus
- Alexander of Aphrodisias
- First cause
- Henosis
- Hylomorphism
- Hypostasis
- Metaxy
- Ontology
- Ousia
- Sumbebekos
- Theosis
- Unmoved movers