Currently unrealized ability
Potential
generally refers to a currently unrealized
ability
. The term is used in a wide variety of fields, from
physics
to the
social sciences
to indicate things that are in a state where they are able to change in ways ranging from the simple release of energy by objects to the realization of abilities in people.
The
philosopher
Aristotle
incorporated this concept into his theory of
potentiality and actuality
(in Greek,
dynamis
and
energeia
), translated into Latin as
potentia
and
actualitas
(earlier also
possibilitas
and
efficacia
).
[1]
a pair of closely connected principles which he used to analyze
motion
,
causality
,
ethics
, and
physiology
in his
Physics
,
Metaphysics
,
Nicomachean Ethics
, and
De Anima
, which is about the human
psyche
.
[2]
That which is potential can theoretically be made actual by taking the right action; for example, a boulder on the edge of a cliff has potential to fall that could be actualized by pushing it over the edge.
In physics, a potential may refer to the
scalar potential
or to the
vector potential
. In either case, it is a field defined in space, from which many important physical properties may be derived. Leading examples are the
gravitational potential
and the
electric potential
, from which the motion of gravitating or electrically charged bodies may be obtained. Specific forces have associated potentials, including the
Coulomb potential
, the
van der Waals potential
, the
Lennard-Jones potential
and the
Yukawa potential
. In electrochemistry there are
Galvani potential
,
Volta potential
,
electrode potential
, and
standard electrode potential
. In the
thermodynamics
, the term
potential
often refers to
thermodynamic potential
.
Etymology
[
edit
]
“Potential” comes from the Latin word
potentialis
, from
potentia
= might, force, power, and hence ability, faculty, capacity, authority, influence. From the verb
posse
= to be able, to have power. From the adjective
potis
= able, capable. (The old form of the verb was a compound of the adjective and the verb “to be”, e.g. for
possum
it was
potis sum
, etc.) The Latin word
potis
is cognate with the Sanskrit word
patis
= “lord”.
[3]
Several languages have a
potential mood
, a grammatical construction which indicates that something is in a potential as opposed to actual state. These include
Finnish
,
[4]
Japanese
,
[5]
and
Sanskrit
.
[6]
See also
[
edit
]
Wikiquote has quotations related to
Potential
.
Look up
potential
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Giorgio Agamben,
Opus Dei: An Archaeology of Duty
(2013),
p. 46
.
- ^
Sachs, Joe (2005),
"Aristotle: Motion and its Place in Nature"
,
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Sachs (2005)
- ^
Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short,
A Latin Dictionary
.
- ^
Clemens Niemi,
A Finnish Grammar
(1917), p. 27.
- ^
Tatui Baba,
An Elementary Grammar of the Japanese Language
(1888), p. 18.
- ^
Ratnakar Narale,
Sanskrit for English Speaking People
(2004), p. 332.