Secondary Qualities
Secondary Qualities
Those sensible qualities which are “nothing in the objects themselves, but powers to produce various sensations in us by their primary qualities.” This is the definition of John Locke. Such qualities (colors, sounds, tastes, smells) are distinguishable from primary in that they are highly variable, less constant. They appear in human consciousness in various forms, whereas the primary ones remain the same. See Primary Qualities. — V.F.