What, if anything, is developmental potential? The physical sciences deploy a well-defined concept of potential. Where F is a force field and there exists a scalar field ϕ such that F = −∇ϕ, it is said that F is conservative and that ϕ is a potential function for F. Thus do we speak of gravitational potential and electric potential. But biology has no concept equivalent to conservative force. Biology has no concept of potential as a scalar field.

Metaphysics nurtures more general notions of potential. If we start from ontological fundamentals, what might we be able to say of developmental potential? To progress, we must first acquire an understanding of development. That poses a challenge unto itself.