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Single Idea 15974

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived ]

Full Idea

In substances the most frequent [ideas] are of powers; v.g. 'a man is white' signifies that the thing that has the essence of a man has also in it the essence of whiteness, which is nothing but the power to produce the idea of whiteness in one with eyes.

Gist of Idea

The essence of whiteness in a man is nothing but the power to produce the idea of whiteness

Source

John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 3.08.01)

Book Ref

Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.474

A Reaction

Alexander cites this to support his claim that the powers are the same as the textures, but the quotation seems neutral about what actually constitutes the powers, and Idea 15971, seems to separate powers from textures.

Related Ideas

Idea 15971 Secondary qualities are powers of complex primary qualities to produce sensations in us [Locke]

Idea 15973 In my view Locke's 'textures' are groups of corpuscles which are powers (rather than 'having' powers) [Locke, by Alexander,P]

Idea 15976 What is the texture - the real essence - which makes substances behave in distinct ways? [Locke]

The 23 ideas with the same theme [powers as products of something more basic]:

16740 A power is not a cause, but an aptitude for a cause [Zabarella]
16744 All powers can be explained by obvious features like size, shape and motion of matter [Descartes]
16734 The complete power of an event is just the aggregate of the qualities that produced it [Hobbes]
15974 The essence of whiteness in a man is nothing but the power to produce the idea of whiteness [Locke]
23666 It is obvious that there could not be a power without a subject which possesses it [Reid]
14296 Dispositions are physical states of mechanism; when known, these replace the old disposition term [Quine]
13568 Basic powers may not be explained by structure, if at the bottom level there is no structure [Ellis]
13586 Maybe dispositions can be explained by intrinsic properties or structures [Ellis]
15094 I now deny that properties are cluster of powers, and take causal properties as basic [Shoemaker]
15758 Things have powers in virtue of (which are entailed by) their properties [Shoemaker]
8547 One power can come from different properties; a thing's powers come from its properties [Shoemaker]
8549 Properties are functions producing powers, and powers are functions producing effects [Shoemaker]
15258 Powers are not qualities; they just point to directions of empirical investigation [Harré/Madden]
15554 A disposition needs a causal basis, a property in a certain causal role. Could the disposition be the property? [Lewis]
15463 All dispositions must have causal bases [Lewis]
15120 Lewisian properties have powers because of their relationships to other properties [Lewis, by Hawthorne]
7023 Powers or dispositions are usually seen as caused by lower-level qualities [Heil]
14310 Dispositions are classifications of properties by functional role [Mumford]
14316 If dispositions have several categorical realisations, that makes the two separate [Mumford]
14317 I say the categorical base causes the disposition manifestation [Mumford]
9450 If all properties are potencies, and stimuli and manifestation characterise them, there is a regress [Bird]
9498 The essence of a potency involves relations, e.g. mass, to impressed force and acceleration [Bird]
14557 Powers are not just basic forces, since they combine to make new powers [Mumford/Anjum]