# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0071 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0071?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 55, page id 778263916:0071 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=71 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000071.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine # Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.92 # 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. dimpo cS perceire and sron the Idea oF Wrhire or Black, and quite another to exa mine what kind ot parcieles thes must be, and ho ranged in the Superi ficies to makce any Objeet appear irtrite or black. 5. 3. A PAINteF, Or DVer, Whonever enquired into their causes, haththe Ideas oF Wrhite and Blacls, and other Colours, a5 clearly, pertectls, and distinctr, in his Onderstanding, and perhraps more distinetiv than the ehi- Jolopher, wrho hath bulied himselt in consicerine; their Natures, and thinlis hiekenos tio lar cither ofthem is in its caule politire orprivatires andthe Idea of Black i5 no lels posicive in his Mind, than that of. White, hou ever che cause oF chat C olour in the exterrial Object, may be ouly a priva tion. 8. 4. IFit verethe desisn or my prelent Vndertakins, to enquire into che natural caules and manner of Perception, L Mould otter this a5 a rea- Ton, why a privative cause mishe, in some cales at least, produce a positivé Idea, viz. Fhat all Senlation beins produced in us, orily by different de srees aud modes of Motion in our animal Spirits, variously agitated by external Objects, the abatement ot any former motion, must as necesta- rils produce a neu sensation, as the rariation or increase oF it; and (0 in- troduce a new Ldea, Which depends only on a ditterent morion ot the ani- Mal Spirits in ChaEOrgan. 6. 5. Butwhether this beso, or no, Lwill not here determine, but ap. Deal to every ones own Experience, Whetherthe aclor oF a Man, chouxtr it consists ol nothing bur theabsence of Lishr (and themorethe absence OE Liehris, che more discernible is the Maclor) does not, ivhen aNIan looles on ic, cause as elear and politire an Idea in hismind, as a Manhim- selE, thoush coreredorer wich elear Sunstrine: And chepicture of a lha: don, is a Politire chins. Indeed, We have nesative Names, to which there De no politire Ideas; but they consist wholls in negation ol lome cer- tain Edeas, as Silence, Tuvisible; but thele sienisre not any Ideas in thé Minc, but their absence. 6. 6. And chusone may crulyibe Paidto sec Dartene(S. FOr SupPOLInS a hole perfectls darte, trom Whence no ligtu is refected, tis certain one may sec the tigure of it, or it may be painted; and irhether the Inte, lurrite rith, matce ans other idea, is a queltion. The priratire caules Thave here assigned ot politive Ideas, are accordine to the common Opinion; but in truch ic will be hard to determine, Whether there bereally ariy Ideas trom a priratire cause, till ir be determined, Whether Rest be any more a privation, than Motion. 5. 7. Fodiscoverthe nature oE our Ldeas the Better, and to discourse ot them intelligibly, it ill be convenient to distinguistr them, as they are Ideas, or Perceptions in our Mincs; and as they are in the Bocies, that cause such Perceptions in us: that sorve may not thinke (as pertraps usually is donc) chat chey are exactly che imases arid resemblances oF lomethine in- herent in the subject; most ot chose ot sensation beins in the Mind no more the likeness of lomethins existins without us, than theWames chat Atand tor them, are che literets ot our Ldeas, which y et upon hearins, ches are apt to excitein us. 6. 8. Whatsoerer the Mind perceires in it sels, or is the immediate ob. ject of Perception, Thoust, or Onderstandins, that I call Idea; and the porver to produce any Ldea in our mind, P can Ouality ot ehie Subject Wrherein that porveris. Thus a Snor-ball harins the porrer ro produce in us the Ideas ot rrhite, Cold, and Round, the porvers to produce thole Ideas in us, asthez are in the Snow.- Ball, Icall Qualities; and as they are denlacions, or Percepcions, in our Undterwandires, l call ehem Ideas: ntrictu