# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0050
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0050?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 34, page id 778263916:0050
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=50
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000050.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine
# Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.91
# Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German.
# Licence: CC BY 4.0, Leibniz Legible. Machine output: do not ingest it as verified text; keep this provenance with the text.
# Wording rule: say "the machine reads it as …", never "Leibniz wrote".
# After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line.

No innate Principles.
belierc) ret, Pthink, te Children can be supposed eo have those Jdea s,
Wrhich cheretore chey must besin to have sometime or orlier; asd then
ther ill also begin to assent to that Propolicion, and matie verr licele
queltion of it ever alter. Bur such an astent uvon learins, nO MOre prOVeS
the Ldeas ro be innate, than it docs, Phat one born blind (Writh Cacaracts,
Whichill becouched to morro) had theinnate Ldeas OF Ehe SIIM, Or
Listu, or Sattron, or Pellor; because wrhen his Sistur is cleared, he will
certairlr assent tothis Propolirion, That the Sunis lucid, or that SaHron is
sello: Andcheretore il such an allent upon hearins cannot proverhe acas
innate, it can much lessthe Propoiions made uposthose Ideas. EEle have
any innate Ldeas, Firould be glad toibe told, whac, and hor mans chez are.
5. 20. Belides Wrhat Phare already laic, there is another lecason, irhry
Idoube, that neitherthese, nor ans other Principlesare innate. Pehiac am
sully pertraded, that the intinirels Wise GOD made all Thinss in pertect
Wisdom, cannot latistie my selt, why he thould Desuppoled to princ uron Eko
Minds oFMen lome univer(al Principles; Whereos thole that are precend.
edinnate, and concern speculation, are of no creat use; and those that con-
cern Practice, not selfevident; and neither of them distincuisable from
Some other Truths, not alloved co he innate. Por to whac purpose strould
Characters begraven on the Mind, by thetinger oF God, Which are nOE
clearer there, than thole which are atiervards introduced, or cannor be
distinguistid from: IF any one thinks there are such innare ideas and
Propolitions, Which by cheir clearness and usetulness, are dictinsuithrable
Trom all that is adventicious in che Mind, and acquired, ir rill nOE DC a
hord matrer For him to tellus, Whichchey are; and then every one rill
Be a ft Judge, Whether cherbe 10, or no. Since il there De luch innaro
Edeas and Impressions, plairls different Crom all our other verceptions
and lnomledse, every onc ill tind it true in hummselt. OF the evidence
OFthele suppoled innate Maxims, lhare spolcen already; os cheir usctulnels,
I MalI have occalion to speak more herealter.
S. 2. F. Toconclude, lome Ldeas Torardly offer themselves toallmens In.
derstandinss; and some sorts of Truthsretult fromany Ldeas, as loon aS tho
nd puts them into Propolitions: Other Pruchs require a train oi Ideas
placed in order, a due comparins ofthem, and deductions made wich at-
cention, before ther can be discorerec and allented to. Some ol the tirst
fore, becaule ot cheir general and calie reception, have been mistaken fOr
innate: Butcherruth is, Ideas and Notions arc no more born with us
chan Arts and Sciences; though lome ofthem, indeed, otter them selves tO
Our Faculties, more readils than others; andtheretore are more seneraliy
received; thoush that too, be accordins as the Orsans oE our Bodies,
and Porvers oF our Minds, happen to be employ d: G0d havine frted Men
vith faculties and means, to discover, observe, and retain Truths, accordine
ly as therare employd. The grear difterence that is to be found in the
Nocion oFMankind, is, trem the disterent usc they put cheir Eaculties to,
Whilst some (andthose the molt) cakrins chinss uxor trust, misemploy their
porer oF ARenE, by lazils enslaring their Minds, tothe Dictates and D0.
minion oE ochers, in Doctrines, Which it is their Duts caretullr to exa-
mine; and not blindly, rith an implicit faith, totvallow: Others employ-
ins their Thoughes ouls about some terr thinss, srou acquainted sufi-
ciently with chem, atrain ereat desrees of tnomledse in them, and arc
ionorant of all other, havins never let their Thouchis loose, in the scarch
ot ocher Enquiries. Thus, that the threc Angles ot a Triansle are equal
totro Rishtones, is a Truth, as certain as any chins ean bc; and Ichinti
more erident, chan mans ot chole Proxositions chat eo Cor Principles; and
70