back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 6519

[from 'Perception' by Howard Robinson, in 26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 7. Later Matter Theories / c. Matter as extension ]

Full Idea

Notoriously, Locke's filler for Descartes's geometrical matter, solidity, will not do, for that quality collapses on examination into a composite of the dispositional-cum-relational propery of impenetrability, and the secondary quality of hardness.

Gist of Idea

Locke's solidity is not matter, because that is impenetrability and hardness combined

Source

Howard Robinson (Perception [1994], IX.3)

Book Reference

Robinson,Howard: 'Perception' [Routledge 2001], p.220


A Reaction

I would have thought the problem was that 'matter is solidity' turns out on analysis to be a tautology. We have a handful of nearly synonymous words for matter and our experiences of it, but they boil down to some 'given' thing for which we lack words.