PHIL 030 Lecture 4: Locke Book III-IV (week 4).doc
Document Summary
Give an example (one not given in locke"s essay) of a nominal essence. Nominal essences are abstract ideas that prove the general terms of a certain thing or idea; gold is a body yellow of a certain weight. (192) they are essentially features that can be seen by the eyes. Real essences are complex ideas that help understand the idea and is the basis of the idea; An example of nominal essence would be observing the characteristics of a magnet that is suspended in air by the opposing forces of another magnet. It is also round and seems to be floating on top of another magnet. However in terms of real essence, magnets are composed of iron, cobalt, and nickel molecules: in lock"s view, we can know that man may know of truths called knowledge.
