Single Idea 12547

[catalogued under 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism]

Full Idea

Though we see the yellow, and upon trial find the weight, malleableness, fusibility and fixedness of gold, yet because no one of these has evident dependence or necessary connexion with the other, we cannot know if four are there, the fifth will be also.

Gist of Idea

We know five properties of gold, but cannot use four of them to predict the fifth one

Source

John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 4.03.14)

Book Reference

Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.546


A Reaction

Thus it is that knowledge of necessary properties cannot lead us to knowledge of essence, because explanatory dependence is in the opposite direction. The point of knowing essences is to gain increased powers of prediction.

Related Idea

Idea 15297 We can infer a new property of a thing from its other properties, via its essential nature [Harré/Madden]