The Act-Potency Distinction In 60 Seconds | Philosophy In (Almost) 60 Seconds
The second installment of our Philosophy In (Almost) 60 Seconds series focuses on the traditional act-potency distinction. Please offer suggestions for the next installment in the comments.
Please like, comment, share, and subscribe!
*The Act-Potency Distinction*
Change occurs. But how is this possible? Certain Pre-Socratic philosophers such as Parmenides suggested that change must be an illusion, since it would require something (being) coming from nothing (non-being), which is absurd. Aristotle, on the other hand, agreed that while something coming from nothing would be absurd, disagreed that that is what is involved in change. Rather, Aristotle argued that change involves the actualization of some potential and that being “comes in different ways.” There is actual being, on the one hand — namely, that which is actively present and causally-capable — and there is potential being, on the other, which is a sort of in-built latency grounded in actual being and restricted by the nature of things, that could be brought about under appropriate actualizing conditions. For example: while some cup of water is currently actually cool it is potentially hot given its nature and becomes actually hot when somebody applies heat to it. Water, however — and this is important — is never potentially intelligent, because the nature of water restricts it to a particular range of possible ways of being actual, as all natures, according to Aristotle, do.
The act-potency distinction is foundational to any broadly Aristotelian metaphysic, hence the Thomistic thesis that: "Potency and Act divide being in such a way that whatever is, is either pure act, or of necessity it is composed of potency and act as primary and intrinsic principles."
-
1:10:11
Philosophy for the People
8 months agoPhilosopher Vs. ChatGPT: Respectful Debate on the Ontological Argument!
29 -
28:43
Stephen Gardner
8 hours ago🔴BREAKING: Obama is TERRIFIED of THIS COVER UP Leaking!
62.2K259 -
35:29
Candace Owens
11 hours agoWhy I Left This Religion | Candace Ep 16
78.3K174 -
1:00:59
Lou Dobbs
11 hours agoLou Dobbs Tonight 7-1-2024
87.2K67 -
1:48:30
Donald Trump Jr.
17 hours agoJill & Joe Have Dems Pressing the Panic Button, Taking Your Questions live! | TRIGGERED Ep.150
213K399 -
2:36:18
WeAreChange
11 hours agoBlack Sex Magic Explained... And Elite Satanic Pedo Culture Exposed!
93.5K44 -
50:14
Kimberly Guilfoyle
14 hours agoLandmark Supreme Court Immunity Case, Plus Dems' Prop 47 Madness, Live with Jesse Binnall & ASM Bill Essayli | Ep. 138
86.1K47 -
1:03:39
In The Litter Box w/ Jewels & Catturd
1 day agoBidens Blame Staff | In the Litter Box w/ Jewels & Catturd – Ep. 598 – 7/1/2024
126K72 -
7:03:22
Akademiks
19 hours agoDrake's Goons Run Down on Rick Ross in Vancouver! PND vs Chris Brown. Wunna a Rat? Foolio Alive?
157K31 -
13:32
Bearing
19 hours ago"Biden Totally Won" Lefties COPE HARD Over Trump Debate
50.2K42