Hello duality

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I would like to write a poem and then perform a dance while reciting it:

The active enchilada is thus
with respect to the lowing cow
almost always thinking of his love
for the otter who swims
and cavorts far beyond the.

(You have to imagine the dance and recitation. Sorry.)
 
geometer said:
In physics the word potential is used differently than in your example. Potential energy is not a lack of energy, it is simply stored energy. Like a battery holding a real charge of one kilowatt hour, the battery actually has that energy, it does not lack that energy…

People often state that omnipotence means that god is doing everything, which would mean that god would simply be all energies. Omnipotence must be his potential in order that pantheism be avoided.

Omnipotence means all powerful, so god must also have the power to do nothing…
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So,
Energy follows principles
Not,
Principles follow energy?
 
Psychotheosophy said:
So,
Energy follows principles
Not,
Principles follow energy?
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Sorry I do not follow what you mean. Potential is simply a measure of potentcy. He is omnipotent. He has all potentcy, his potential is infinite. He could not have zero potential, because he would lack all potentcy…
 
geometer said:
Sorry I do not follow what you mean. Potential is simply a measure of potentcy. He is omnipotent. He has all potentcy, his potential is infinite. He could not have zero potential, because he would lack all potentcy…
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I think one problem here is that we’re using Scholastic terminology and looking for its meaning in modern dictionaries–which won’t work too well. 🙂 You wrote, “He has all potency, his potential is infinite.” In Scholastic terms, the first half is right, but not the second. For God to have all potency would mean He would have zero potential; for example, if God were all-powerful, He would have absolutely no potential to gain power. (Also, because of His perfection, He has no potential to lose power, either.)

I hope some of this connects somehow with the thread.
 
cpayne said:
For God to have all potency would mean He would have zero potential; for example, if God were all-powerful, He would have absolutely no potential to gain power.
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I think you have been confused by a bad dictionary. Omnipotent, potency, potent, and potential are all related words. What does a potental to gain power, have to do with the problem???
 
geometer said:
I think you have been confused by a bad dictionary. Omnipotent, potency, potent, and potential are all related words. What does a potental to gain power, have to do with the problem???
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Goodness, I think you are right (partly). It slipped my mind that Aquinas uses potency in opposition to “act,” not in opposition to “potential”; in fact, I think he uses potency / potential more or less interchangeably. (Someone correct me again if I’m getting this mixed up.)

Okay, you are right on that; thanks for catching it. On the other hand, I would still say the same thing, but using the corrected words: God is all act, no potential. This is what Aquinas and Aristotle mean by referring to God as “Active Intellect.”

There! (Whew!)
 
1holycatholic said:
:tsktsk: Created things are not part of God.
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In the state of undifferentiated oneness there are no things, no parts. It’s the ultimate nothingness. To experience this state is equivalent to being unconscious. Yet we can imagine that this state contains all possible things as undifferentiated and so in a sense these things are there, as a potential. The potential becomes actualized when the things become differentiated. It’s a potential of creation, of differentiation, of consciousness.

This potential cannot be increased or decreased because it’s undefined. We may also say that it cannot be increased because it already contains everything, and that it cannot be decreased because it’s nothing.
 
glowingembers said:
In the state of undifferentiated oneness there are no things, no parts. It’s the ultimate nothingness. To experience this state is equivalent to being unconscious. Yet we can imagine that this state contains all possible things as undifferentiated and so in a sense these things are there, as a potential. The potential becomes actualized when the things become differentiated. It’s a potential of creation, of differentiation, of consciousness.

This potential cannot be increased or decreased because it’s undefined. We may also say that it cannot be increased because it already contains everything, and that it cannot be decreased because it’s nothing.
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What you have written is harmonious with jewish mysicism. How did you come to your understanding?
 
glowingembers said:
In the state of undifferentiated oneness there are no things, no parts. It’s the ultimate nothingness. To experience this state is equivalent to being unconscious. Yet we can imagine that this state contains all possible things as undifferentiated and so in a sense these things are there, as a potential. The potential becomes actualized when the things become differentiated. It’s a potential of creation, of differentiation, of consciousness.

This potential cannot be increased or decreased because it’s undefined. We may also say that it cannot be increased because it already contains everything, and that it cannot be decreased because it’s nothing.
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What is the penultimate nothingness?
 
geometer said:
Sorry I do not follow what you mean.
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I’m trying to clarify from your post,
Your understanding of
The relationship between energy and the principles of science.
geometer said:
Potential is simply a measure of potentcy. He is omnipotent. He has all potentcy, his potential is infinite. He could not have zero potential, because he would lack all potentcy.
Click to expand...
So,
Potential energy has the capacity to give energy.
Potential Happiness has the capacity to give Happiness.

Do you believe energy is Happiness?
 
Psychotheosophy said:
I’m trying to clarify from your post,
Your understanding of
The relationship between energy and the principles of science.

So,
Potential energy has the capacity to give energy.
Potential Happiness has the capacity to give Happiness.

Do you believe energy is Happiness?
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Potential energy is energy. Energy is the ability to do work. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion.

Omni-potence is about the potence of God, he is all powerful. Potential is a reference power.

I really do not follow your remarks about potent happyness or a happyness potential.

And, the notion that God is equivalent to action, or his mind is completely active, seem to be very strange conjectures.

God gave us the ten commandments, and do not believe that we have been called to create a set of laws for him to follow…
 
geometer said:
What you have written is harmonious with jewish mysicism. How did you come to your understanding?
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Mix of various influences… Don’t know much about Jewish mysticism. I have heard something about Kabbala. Atzmuto is said to be the unknowable source of the world. Same as Tao, it seems. Or the invisible Father of the Holy Trinity.
 
1holycatholic said:
What is the penultimate nothingness?
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Undifferentiated oneness.

Beyond space and time nothing is defined.

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle:

The less space the less definition of momentum.
The less time the less definition of energy.

No space, no time = completely undefined momentum and energy.
 
glowingembers said:
Undifferentiated oneness.

Beyond space and time nothing is defined.

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle:

The less space the less definition of momentum.
The less time the less definition of energy.

No space, no time = completely undefined momentum and energy.
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That’s meaningless drivel.
 
glowingembers said:
Mix of various influences… Don’t know much about Jewish mysticism. I have heard something about Kabbala. Atzmuto is said to be the unknowable source of the world. Same as Tao, it seems. Or the invisible Father of the Holy Trinity.
Click to expand...
:ehh:
 
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