John Locke's Philosophy of Science and Metaphysics: The Problem of Cohesion

By Mashhad Al-Allaf

This study addresses the problem of cohesion in John Locke's philosophy, analyzing his understandings of qualities and substances and explaining his concept of a cohesive power that holds all matter together. This work should appeal to scholars interested in philosophy, metaphysics, science, and Enlightenment thought. his philosophy because of the way in which he relates it to the problem of substance in his search for something that not only underlies all properties, in the traditional Aristotelian sense, but also holds the constituents of matter together. Contrary to common interpretations, this book argues that Locke did not envision a metaphysical entity underlying all qualities. Rather, he was more inclined to think that there existed something like a cohesive power which functioned as a bond holding together not only the qualities of a substance, but its individual corpuscles, and on a deeper level even the parts of the corpuscle. nature of qualities in Locke's thought; then moves on to address Locke's account of substance in its relation to the concepts of real essence and cohesion; next the problem of cohesion is examined in detail before, finally, an explanation is offered as to why cohesion cannot be described in terms of an act of divine superaddition in Locke's philosophy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0773454683
• ISBN13: 9780773454682
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Edwin Mellen Pr
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.3"