# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0055
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0055?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 39, page id 778263916:0055
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=55
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000055.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.

The Original of our Ideds.
he vould haveno more Taeas OF Scarlet or Green, than he Fhat Trorm his
Childhood never tasted an Orster, or a Pinc. Apple, has oE thole particu-
lar Relistres.
5.7. Nen chen come to Be Surnished, With server or more simple Ideas From
ithout, accordins as theobjects, ther converse withaftord sreater or lester
varietr; and trom the Operation of their Minds within, according asthey
More Or lels restect on TheM. FOr, ThOUSH HC FhAE CONFeMPIALCS FCO
peratiens of his Mind, cannot bur have plain and clear Ideas ol them;
vet untess he turn his Thoushts thar as, ond considers them attentive-
ly, hewillnomore have clear and distinet Fdeas of all ehe Operations et
his Mind, and all ehat mas be observed cherein, than he will have all
the particular Ideas ol aris Landscape, or ol the Parts and Motions ot a
Clock, Whoriil nor curn hisFres to ic, and wich arcention hreed all the
ParES OE it. The Picture, or Clock mas be (0 placed, that they may
come in his Way every Day; Dut yet he will have buc a contuled Idea oE
allthe Parts thez are made ux oE, till he applies himjels with artention, 10
consider ehem cach in particular.
6. 8. And hence ire see che Rcason, Wrhy tis pretey late betore most
Children set Ideas ot the OperationsoFcheir omn Minds; and fome have
not anv very clear, or perlect Ideas oF the greatest part of ehem all cheir
Tives. Becaule, Chouxh ther pass there continually; Vet lile Aoarino VIII
ons, ther mate nor decp Imprestions enoush, to leare in the Mind clear
and distinet, lastins Ideas, eill ehe Onderstandins curn invards uxon iis
TelF, and reftect on its own Operations, and matre them the Obieet oF its
oon Concemplarion. Whereas Children at their Arst comins into ehe
Worid, Seck particularls alter nothine, but what mas ease cheir Iunger,
er octier Pain: but ralce all ocher Objeets as ther come, are generally
pleased rith all nem ones, that are nor paintul; and (o grorins up in a
constant attention to outrard Senlations; seldom make any considerable
Rerlection on irhat passes rithin them, eill they come tobe ot riper
Vears; and some (carce ever at aII.
6. 9. FoasE, at what time a Man bas first any Tdeas, is to aste, Wtien
he begins eo perceire, havins sdeas and Perceprion being the same thins.
Tknoir it is an Opinion, that the Soul alvars thinks, and thac ic has the
actual Perception of Ideas in its Telt constanty, as lone as it exicts; and
that actual chintrins is as inseparable trom ihe Soul, as actual Fxtension
is trom the Body; Which il true, to enquire alter the beginnine of a Mans
Ideas, is che lae, as to enquire alter the besinnins ot his Soul. For by
this Rccount, Soul and Ideas, as Body and txtension, Will begin eo exist
both at the lame time.
5. FO. But Whecher the Soul De suppoled Eo exist antecedent LO, Or edC-
val wich, or lome time alter ehe first Rudiments of Organisation, or the
besirnines oE Lise in the Body, I lcave to be disputed by chose, Who
have BCEEer FhOUDHE OE FHIAE maEtEr. P Conte(s my selF, to have one ot
those cuII Souls, thac doth nor perceire it sel( alvays eo contemplate its
Fdeas, nor can conceive it any inore necellary For the Soul alvays tothint-
than For eie Bod) alivars to move: the verception ot Ideas, beins (a5 I
ConceivC) to the Soul, rhat morion is tO FHC BOdY, nOL IES FNIenCO, buF
Operation: Aud theretore, though chinkins be suppoled never so much
thie proper Action oFthe Soul; ver it is nor necetarr, to suppose, that it
Mould be alrars thinkins, alvays in Action. THaF, perhaps, is the Pri-
vilese of the infinite Author and Proserver oFall thines, who never pum-
bers nor seeps; BUE IS HOECOMPCEEME EO any finite Beins, at least nOL LO
thesoul oCMB. Weknon cerrainly by Experience, chat we lomecimes
cliints