The Longstanding Debate over Primary/Secondary Qualities

When we look at an object at rest, we can use such words as blue, heavy, dense, single, quiet, loud or any other word like this to describe it. But do we ever think about what the words actually mean or represent behind the actual description? A philosopher named John Locke attempts to argue that everything has primary qualities and secondary qualities. I do agree with his reasoning except for the categories where he places the qualities. Locke says that primary qualities include solidity, amount, and figure. He then says that everything has secondary qualities that include color, taste, smell, and sound. But are the qualities in the correct categories?

Take number for example, there always has to be a certain amount of something. The quality of a number does not change when a different person looks at it. The quality is definite and a basic scientific quality of the piece of matter. For this reason alone the quality of a number is a primary quality because it is not dependent on who is observing the object.

John Locke argues that color is a secondary quality because he states that it depends on the person looking at it. I believe that since color depends on the reflection of light that the quality of the object is set in stone. Unless altered, a red apple will always be red no matter whom or what looks at it. Although a counter argument may say that animals see in black and white and would not be able to see the red in the apple. I would say that is not true because although the animal may see a shade of gray, that shade would be the red and the animal’s eye just cannot see the color. And since the color is always the same, the quality is a primary one.

On the flip side of the coin, taste has all to do with the beholder. If taste was a primary quality then everyone would always eat one food that was the “best” tasting food. The taste is different for every person. Sometimes taste can depend on what someone was eating before or what kind of tastes they have lurking in their mouth from previous foods. The quality of taste is secondary because it changes, depending on the person tasting it.

The same holds true for smell. Although many psychologists will say that there is an absolute threshold for smell, I feel everyone has a different degree of smell and that degree of smell can change with mood and attitude. For example, if one is hungry and they are inclined to use their senses to find food then the increase of senses is mainly focused in to the sense of smell. Therefore the quality of smell is secondary because the smell is always different and can even change throughout the day.

The idea of primary and secondary qualities is a strong case. To me, it all depends on whether or not the quality is definite. If it can be different for every person and if it cannot be consistent then the quality is primary. If the quality is different for even one person then the quality is secondary.