An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2Locke, John
Philosophy
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2
Locke, John
Knowledge, Theory of -- Early works to 1800
But, though the two latter sorts of qualities are powers barely, and
nothing but powers, relating to several other bodies, and resulting
from the different modifications of the original qualities, yet they
are generally otherwise thought of. For the SECOND sort, viz. the
powers to produce several ideas in us, by our senses, are looked upon
as real qualities in the things thus affecting us: but the THIRD sort
are called and esteemed barely powers, v.g. The idea of heat or light,
which we receive by our eyes, or touch, from the sun, are commonly
thought real qualities existing in the sun, and something more than
mere powers in it. But when we consider the sun in reference to wax,
which it melts or blanches, we look on the whiteness and softness
produced in the wax, not as qualities in the sun, but effects produced
by powers in it. Whereas, if rightly considered, these qualities of
light and warmth, which are perceptions in me when I am warmed or
enlightened by the sun, are no otherwise in the sun, than the changes
made in the wax, when it is blanched or melted, are in the sun. They
are all of them equally POWERS IN THE SUN, DEPENDING ON ITS PRIMARY
QUALITIES; whereby it is able, in the one case, so to alter the bulk,
figure, texture, or motion of some of the insensible parts of my eyes
or hands, as thereby to produce in me the idea of light or heat; and in
the other, it is able so to alter the bulk, figure, texture, or motion
of the insensible parts of the wax, as to make them fit to produce in
me the distinct ideas of white and fluid.
25. Why the secondary are ordinarily taken for real Qualities and not
for bare Powers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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