back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 15983

[from 'Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed)' by John Locke, in 8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 7. Against Powers ]

Full Idea

I suggest that Locke has explained the power, …but there is no longer any need to talk of powers since we can go straight from the internal structure to the phenomenon.

Gist of Idea

Locke explains powers, but effectively eliminates them with his talk of internal structure

Source

report of John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694]) by Peter Alexander - Ideas, Qualities and Corpuscles 7

Book Reference

Alexander,Peter: 'Ideas, Qualities and Corpuscles' [CUP 1985], p.152


A Reaction

This is rather the view of fans of categorical properties (as opposed to dispositions). If the corpuscles don't involve forces, this reading makes sense. It is, of course, wrong.

Related Ideas

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

Idea 15972 The corpuscular theory allows motion, but does not include forces between the particles [Boyle, by Alexander,P]