Note 37 — Chapter XII · DE ANIMÂ, ETC.
Reading edition
Ens potentiâ is a variety of Ens (Arist. Metaph. Δ. vii. p. 1017, b. 6), but an imperfect variety: it is ὂν ἀτελές, which may become matured into ὂν τέλειον, ὂν ἐντελεχείᾳ or ἐνεργείᾳ (Metaphys. Θ. i. p. 1045, a. 34).
Matter is either remote or proximate, removed either by one stage or several stages from the σύνολον in which it culminates. Strictly speaking, none but proximate matter is said to exist δυνάμει. Alexander Schol. (ad Metaph. Θ. p. 1049, a. 19) p. 781, b. 39: ἡ πόῤῥω ὕλη οὐ λέγεται δυνάμει. τί δή ποτε; ὅτι οὐ παρωνυμιάζομεν τὰ πράγματα ἐκ τῆς πόῤῥω ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῆς προσεχοῦς· λέγομεν γὰρ τὸ κιβώτιον ξύλινον ἐκ τῆς προσεχοῦς, ἀλλ’ οὐ γήϊνον ἐκ τῆς πόῤῥω.