Grade: 90The Idealist:Real v. Nominal EssenceNominal essences are those that rely on the five senses: sight, smell, touch,taste, and hearing. In other words, they “make use of secondary qualities”(Worldly Wisdom 238). One nominal essence, for example, is the smell of aspecific perfume. The smell is a nominal essence because it does not define theperfume, and is a mere opinion of the person who smells it. This essence isdependent on the mind. One person may say the perfume has a fruity smell to it,while another may say it has a subtle powder-like smell. Locke notes, “nominalessences are the abstract ideas for which general terms stand” (239). Peoplemay create their own ideas of any particular substance or object. Thesedistinctions do not alter the object’s definition by any means. Whether theperfume smells like a fruit or like a flower, it is still perfume. Realessences, however, are the exact opposite.
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