Actuality means that something exists, occurs, or is realized, rather than merely being possible. It is the state in which possibility has become actual.
Actuality matters because human beings live between the possible and the actual. You may have many possible choices, but only some become real. Philosophy asks whether actuality is merely one possibility among many, or whether it has a more fundamental status. Aristotle used potentiality and actuality to explain change: a seed has the potential to become a tree, and becoming a tree is its actualization. Modern society is full of virtual possibilities, plans, and predictions, but actuality still has resistance. Technological imagination can be rich, but realization requires resources, institutions, and time. Actuality reminds us that possibility is exciting, but realization bears the cost.
Continue Reading
Discover more from Geoffrey Chen
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.