"The particular bulk, number, figure, and motion of the parts of fire or snow are really in them, whether anyone's senses perceive them or not; and therefore they may be called real qualities, because they really exist in those bodies. But light, heat, whiteness, or coldness, are no more really in them than sickness or pain is in manna bread." In this passage Locke locates the distinction between primary and secondary qualities in the difference between:
A) the parts of bodies that we cannot sense and the parts that we can sense.
B) qualities of bodies that exist independently of sensation and qualities that rely on sensation.
C) the power to perceive things in our own bodies and the power to perceive things in other bodies.
D) those qualities that no one ever perceives and those qualities that we always perceive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Locke's distinction between primary and secondary qualities hinges on the idea that primary qualities (like bulk, number, figure, and motion) exist independently of our perception, while secondary qualities (like color, sound, taste, and temperature) depend on our sensory experience and the observer's perception.

"The Particular Bulk, Number, Figure, and Motion of the Parts