entelechy
/ɛnˈtɛləki
/ /ɪnˈtɛləki/noun (plural entelechies) [mass noun] Philosophy
1The realization of potential.Leaving much of this material unattended to, I shall restrict myself to the themes that have occupied my attention in the previous sections, namely, entelechy, the transcendentals, especially beauty, and desire.
1.1The supposed vital principle that guides the development and functioning of an organism or other system or organization: such self-organization required a special biological force—entelechy [count noun]: an entelechy generating a work of art from within...
- His working definition is that psych is the ‘first entelechy of a natural organic body’.
- The entelechy of a caterpillar is to grow into a butterfly.
- The true freedom possible in theology requires a significant degree of prior bondage; the substance of this discipline does not materialize simply out of our own entelechy.
Origin
Late Middle English: via late Latin from Greek entelekheia (used by Aristotle), from en- 'within' + telos 'end, perfection' + ekhein 'be in a certain state'.