Potentia

Potentia is a Latin term meaning power, capacity, or potential. In scholarly use, it is chiefly employed to translate the Ancient Greek concept of dynamis or dunamis, and it is closely associated with the philosophical distinction between potentiality (potentia) and actuality (actus). The word also appears in medieval theology and philosophy to analyze power, possibility, and the capacity to change or cause effects.

In Aristotelian philosophy, potentia refers to the inherent capacity of a thing to undergo change or to become something else. It denotes a state that is real but not yet realized, as when a seed possesses the potency to become a tree or ice possesses the potency to melt under appropriate conditions. Potency is thus contrasted with actus, the realized state or the actualization of the potential.

In medieval scholastic thought, potentia was developed into more precise distinctions. Thomas Aquinas, for example, distinguishes potentia absoluta and potentia ordinata. Potentia absoluta is the power to do all that is not self-contradictory, often discussed in relation to divine omnipotence. Potentia ordinata refers to power that is ordered toward ends and the good, emphasizing moral or teleological constraints on action.

In modern contexts, potentia remains a historical and philosophical term rather than a technical one in the sciences. It is widely used to discuss issues in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and theology, where discussions of potentiality and actuality continue to influence contemporary debates. The term also informs translations and interpretations of classical texts dealing with power, capability, and change. See also actus, potential energy, and Aristotle’s Four Causes.