What is an apple?
A semi-circular, edible object, red or green, tastes sweet with a hint of tartness, sometimes sour, crispy and moist.
Sextus Empiricus, in the 2nd century text Outlines of Pyrrhonism, asked if an apple actually possessed these qualities, or whether an apple just had one quality — the thing that it is — which is experienced differently by our different senses.
“The apple, for example,” he wrote, “seems smooth, odorous, sweet and yellow. But it is nonevident whether it really possesses these qualities only; or whether it has but one quality but appears varied owing to the varied structure of the sense organs; or whether, again, it has more qualities than are apparent, some of which elude our perception.”
This seemingly bizarre question is brilliant, and took human scientists and philosophers over two thousand years to be able to answer confidently and in detail.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Philosophy As Therapy to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.