Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia; Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.
Post 127. October 18, 2022
Potential vs Actual
Two kinds of existence
The Philosophy Forum
You said the potential energy is in the spring (or at least you seemed to.). Strictly speaking, potential energy doesn't have a location. You could think of it as a sophisticated prediction. — Frank
I don't understand this. If it exists nowhere, it doesn't exist. — Hanover
Aristotle's differentiation between Potential & Actual¹, as two different ways to exist, may help you to understand the same distinction in Physics. You could say that Potential is universal and non-local, while Actual is specific and local. For example, a AA battery is said to have the Potential for 1.5 volt-amps of current, even when no current (kinetic energy) is flowing. In a sense, the potential is stored in what physicists now call a "Field" (the universe as a whole).
Electrons bound to the field (entangled) are labeled as "Virtual" (essential ; wavelike), to distinguish them from Actual electrons flowing as causal current in a material substrate. In a battery, the electrons are bound to atoms as chemicals (inactive potential energy), but when "flowing" they are what we call "free" or Active or Actual Energy (particular ; pointlike). Potential Energy (virtual existence) has the ability to do work in the future, but is not currently causing change (actual existence). Potential is passive possibility until converted into active causation by making a complete circuit from input to output.
The key distinction between Potential Energy and Actual Energy is Inter-action. I think of Energy as a form of Information. In its inactive statistical state², light Energy does not exist physically, hence is invisible. But when it interacts with matter, Energy causes a change of form. Invisible mathematical Potential becomes visible Actual, a real state of matter in motion (Kinetic Energy)³. That's why massless light energy can travel through dark empty space imperceptibly & unchanged until it meets a physical object, and is reflected into a visual receptor.
For example, in the eye, the statistical potential of light energy transforms from a non-local wave of potential into particular photons which interact with the chemical Rhodopsin to produce a flow of electrons, which in turn, cause the brain to produce an image of whatever object the light last interacted with (reflected from). In other words, it communicates information about that object. But the mental image itself is subjective, and possesses none of the material substance of the object. That's what I call a creative act. Something new has been created, which did not exist before. But its existence is Ideal, instead of Real.
Blog Post 127 continued . . . .
1. Potentiality and actuality The actuality-potentiality distinction in Aristotle is a key element linked to everything in his physics and metaphysics.. . .Aristotle describes potentiality and actuality, or potency and action, as one of several distinctions between things that exist or do not exist. In a sense, a thing that exists potentially does not exist, but the potential does exist. . . . Actuality comes from Latin actualitas and is a traditional translation, but its normal meaning in Latin is 'anything which is currently happening'. . . . The two words energeia [active] and entelecheia [passive] were coined by Aristotle, and he stated that their meanings were intended to converge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiality_and_actuality
Note -- When Aristotle says a thing "does not exist", he means as a material object. So Potential existence is what we today would call "statistical probability", but Ari refers to it as "Form" (mathematical structure as opposed to material structure).
2. Statistical existence : Mathematical statistics allows us to predict the future, in terms of average Probabilty, based on past experience. Obviously, the statistical object does not exist physically in the present. So, its ontological being is merely numerical. And numerical concepts are ideal, mental, abstract & non-physical.
3. Aristotle Ontology of Mathematics : Aristotle always contested the notions of Platonism that mathematical objects like numbers cannot be realized in an abstract world. According to Aristotle’s philosophy of mathematics, mathematical objects can be understood both in the physical and the abstract world. . . . While mathematics is quantitative and philosophy is qualitative, Aristotle realized the link between the two subjects. The link here is “logical problem-solving.” https://www.byjusfutureschool.com/blog/aristotle-combining-mathematics-and-philosophy/
Aristotle saw a link between Ideal abstract mathematics and Real physical proportions.
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If it exists nowhere, it doesn't exist. — Hanover
continued . . . .
