How would John Locke answer the question of whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no observer is present?

John Locke, a prominent philosopher of empiricism, believed that knowledge is fundamentally derived from sensory experiences. His perspective suggests that for something to be known or to exist in a meaningful way, it must be perceived by a conscious being. When considering the question of whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no observer is present, Locke would emphasize the role of perception. He would argue that sound as we understand it – an experience that involves auditory perception – requires an observer to perceive it. Thus, if there is no one to hear the sound, it does not exist in the meaningful, experiential sense for Locke.

Locke’s views align closely with the notion that sound is not merely a physical phenomenon (the vibrations in the air caused by the falling tree), but an experiential one that necessitates a perceiving subject. Therefore, the answer reflects Locke's position that without perception, the concept of sound does not hold significance as an experiential truth.