John Locke

How do we perceive reality? John Locke asserts that reality is perceived from the physical world to our minds at two levels. Primary attributes are inherent in the object that we perceive and can be measured absolutely. Secondary attributes are subject to our judgement and perception. For example, a water bottle can be tall or short. The primary attribute to describe height would be inches or centimeters.

One question that arises from Locke's proposed method of perceiving reality is how ideas can exist in our mind, independent of any physical connections. How can I think about human rights when there is no distinct material object that reflects the attributes of human rights? Locke answers this question through a process called abstraction. His claim is that attributes can be separated from the object. As this process continues, you can abstract an abstracted idea.

Consider the following example. An apple is a fruit. What is a fruit? A fruit is a collection of sugars and fiber arranged in a certain pattern. What is a pattern? A pattern is … and so on so forth. By abstracting abstractions, we can abstract any object to its highest level, usually an entity or thought.