# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0072 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0072?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 56, page id 778263916:0072 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=72 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000072.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 57 lines, status machine # Lines: 57 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. Simple Ideas. ertich Ideas, is L speake OF Lometimes, ad in the chines chemselves, L would be understoodtomean those Oualities in the Objects ertich produce them in US. 5. 9. Concernins thele Qualiries, Wemay, Tthink, observe these prima- ry ones in Bodies, that produce simple Ideas in us, 2iz. Soliditr, FXtCr. Tion, Motion or Rest, Number and Figure. G. F0. These, rhich L calloriginal or primary Oualities oF BodY, are W HoI Iy inseparable trom it; and sueh as in all the alterations and changes it susters, all the force can beuled uxon ic, it constantly kecps; and such as Sense constanty finds in every partiele oF Macter, ertrich has bulk enouoH 1o be perceired, and the Mind finds inseparable trom everr particle ot Macter, thoush lels than to makse it selFsingly be perceived by our senses. v. 5. Fase a orain oF Wheat, diride it into tro parts, cach part has stiil Soliditr. Extension Fieure, and Mobility; divide it again, and ic retains Aill thelame qualities; and so divideit on, till the parts bocomeinsensible, ther must recain sill cachoPthem all thole qualities. For divition: Which is all Fhat a MilI, Or Pestle, or any other B0dY, does upon another, in re ducins ic to insensible parts) can never talce airas eicher Soliditr, Fxtension. Fisure, or Nobilier from any Body, bur only makces tro distinct Bodies, Or more, of one, Which altosether alter dirision have their certain num ber. 6. TF. The next ching to be considered, is, how Bodies operate Onc ux On another, and chat is manisestly by impulse, and nochins elle. IE beine iripossible to conceire, that Body Mould operate on What it docs noc touch, (Which is all’one as to imagine it can operate where it is nOt) or trten ic does touch, operate any ocher nay thanby Norion. 9. F2. IFthen Bodies cannor operare at a distance; il external Objects Be not united to our Minds, when ther produce Ideas in it; and vet We per- ceire these oririnal Oualities in such oF them, a5 Lingly Fall under oux Sen- Ses, tis erident that some motion mustbe thence continued by our Nerres, or animal Spirits, by some parts oF our Bodies, tothe Brains, the seat ot Sensation, there to produce in our Mindsthe particular Ideas we have ot them. And since the Fxtension, Figure, Number, and Morion oF Bodies oF an obserrable bignels, may bo perceired at a distance by the sizhr, tis cridene some sinsly imperceptible Bodies must come tromthem to the PYes, arid cherebs conres coche Brain Pore Morion, wtrieh produces hese Ideas We have ot ehem in S. 6. F3. Alter the Pare manner. Fhat the Ideas OE these originat Ouali. ties are produced in us, e mas conceive, that thc Ideas of secundary dua- Tities are allo produced, viz. bythe operation of insensible particles on our Senses. For it beins manitest, that there are Bodies, and good ctore ol Bodies, cach Whereot is (0 (ntalI, Fhat We CanHOE, By anY OF our Sen ses discorer cither cheir bulk, houre, or morion, as is evident in the Parricles of the Air and Water, and otter exrreamly sinaller than thole, pertraps, as much less than the Parricles OF RIr, Or Water, as the Particles oF Air, Or Water, are smaller chan Pease or Frail. Aones. Let us suppole at present, that the difterent Morions and Figures, Bulk and Number oF such Particles, attectins the several Organs OF oux Senles, produce in us thole differene Sensations, Wrhich we have From the Colours and Sinells oF Bodies, 2. 5. a Violet, by rrhich impulle ot those insensible Particles oF Matter oF different figures and bulLs, and in a difterent Decree and Modification, e may have the Ideas ot the blué Colour, and sircet Scent oF a Violet produced in our Minds. It beins no more conceired impossible, to conceire, that Ood Mould annex such Ide- as 10 sueh Moriors, with Which eties hare no similicude; chan chathe Mould B