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

by Mashhad Al-Allaf

Locke s account of the problem of cohesion reflects a serious difficulty in 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. In order to defend this interpretation, the study seeks first to clarify the 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.

180 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2007