Indirect Realism -Distinction Between Primary And Secondary Qualities Flashcards
Primary and secondary qualities (Locke)
Definitions
Argues we can distinguish qualities we perceive eg shape, size, colour, warmth etc into 2 kinds
-This distinction provides an additional argument against direct realism
‘Idea’= Whatsoever the mind perceives in itself, or is the immediate object of perception, thought or understanding
‘Qualities’= The power to produce any idea in our mind, I call a quality of the subject wherein that power is Eg a snow ball has the qualities to produce in us the ideas of ‘white’, ‘cold’, ’round’
Solidity= quality of physical object where it takes up space and excludes other physical objects from occupying exactly the same space(same with liquids and gases)
Primary and secondary qualities (Locke)
Primary qualities
Primary= ‘ideas’/sense data of certain properties of objects resemble their real properties. They’re qualities utterly INSEPARABLE from the object. Whatever changes it goes through eg even if it is divided into smaller and smaller pieces, object has properties ‘in’ and ‘of itself’.
Are an extension= shape, motion,number and solidarity (Locke also says size)
Argument for primary qualities
-A priori based on what we can conceive
P1) If you continuously divide an object, the parts must retain the primary qualities when they’re too small to be perceived
(Means without these qualities it wouldn’t be a material at all. Primary qualities are essential to material objects and retained by objects whether someone perceived them or not)
C)Therefore primary qualities must exist mind independently
- Could appeal to physics ad change Locke’s definition of primary qualities to qualities that physics tells us physical objects have ‘in and of themselves’
Primary and secondary qualities (Locke)
Secondary qualities
Secondary= Don’t resemble real properties but have powers to produce an idea or sensation in us= consequence of movements etc of the ‘insensible parts’ (micro structures consisting of primary qualities we can directly observe)or ‘imperceptible parts’(atomic and molecular structure) of objects
Eg the colour of a small ball has to be understood in terms of how the snowball affects us. Colour is experienced in vision, qualities an object can only have in relation to it being seen by someone else
-Affects primary qualities
-Involves colour, taste and sound
Argument for secondary qualities
P1) When we pound an almond we merely change the shape of it’s parts
P2) But colour and taste of the almond also change
C) So, the change in colour and taste is caused by the change in shape of the almond’s parts
eg Colour= does alter, change and vanish, only visible in light and changes depending on this
Primary and secondary qualities (Locke)
Criticism of the primary and secondary distinction
Can be argued that Locke’s examples actually show both primary and secondary qualities can change. When an almond is pounded, the shape of its parts change and so does taste, smell and colour. While parts do also retain some shape,parts also retain some taste, smell and colour. If change is supposed to show that a quality is secondary, by Locke’s logic it seems we should regard shape and the size of the pieces of almonds as mind dependent. If we accept the secondary qualities depend on the texture of the almond, it doesn’t show that they’re purely mind dependent. Surely more reasonable to conclude that a certain taste, smell and colour are objective properties of pound almond
Primary and secondary qualities (Locke)
Primary and secondary qualities argument 2 and response
P1) Certain qualities disappear if we block our sense organs
C) So qualities depend on our sense organs and don’t exist as perceived in reality
Response- This also appears to be unable to distinguish primary and secondary qualities. If you close your eyes, both primary and secondary qualities perceived by us disappear. While we can handle objects to feel their shapes if we let go of them, those senses experiences cease (we stop feeling them). Looks as though primary qualities behave the same as secondary in this regard
