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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 84, page id 778263916:0100
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Duration, and its simple Mc
8. F.
C HI A L. 2IV
Of Duration, and ils simple Modes.
Here is another sOrt OF Distance, er LenstM, the Idea NHerE:
oFre set not trom the permanent parts ot Space, Dur troin
the Acetins and perperually perictrins parts of Succesion. This we call
Duration, the simple Modes Whereos are any difterent lensths ol it,
wrhrereot re have dictinct Ideas, as TTourS, DayS, Tears, etC. Time, and
Eternitr.
5. 2. THC ANSIVEF OF a GreaEMIan, EO one Wwho asted rhaL Time was
(Si non rocas intellico, Wrhich amounes to this; the more I set my selF+0
Thinse oFit, the less P understoodit;) mixht pertraps persmade onc, That
Time, erhich reveals all ortier thines, is it self not to be discorered. Du-
ration Time, and Lternity, arc, not withont reaton, thouoht tohave fome.
thing verr obstruse intheir naturo. But horvever remore this may seem
From our Comprehention, vet il re trace them ristu to cheir Originals,
Idoube not but one of those Sources of aIl our Rnorledoe, viz. Sensarion
and Restection, Will be able to furnitr us with thole Ideas, as clear and
distinet as many others, wtrich are thouste much lels obscure; and e
Mall finc thatthe Pdea of Eternits it selF, is derived From the lame com
monOrisinal ith the rest ot our Ideas.
5. 3. Founderstand Time and Pternity ariohe; We ouphe with atten.
tion to consider wtat Pdeait is ve hareoE Duration, and hor We cameby
it. Fiserident roany one who willbur obserre wharpalles in his omnMrind,
that there is a train of Ideas, erhich constantly succced one another in nis
Onderstandine, as lone as he is arratse. Refection on chele appearances
OF several Ideas one aster another in our Minds, is ttrt wtrich furnistres us
rich Idea OF Succession: And the distance betrreen any parts ot chat Suc:
cestion, or betreen the appearance ol ans to ideas in our Minds, is
thatre call Duration. For irtrilst re are chintins. or Wrhil re reccire
successivels several Pdeas in our Minds, We lno that we do exist; and
s0 we call the Lixiltence, or the Continuation ol the exiltence oF our
selves, or ary thine else, Commenturate to thesuccestion of ans Idéas in
our Minds, the Duration oF our selres, or ans such other thins co existins
with our Thinking.
5. 4. That Wehave our notion ot Succession and Duration Erom ehis Ori-
inal, 2i2. trom Reflection on the train oF Tdeas, wrhich ve find to appear
one alter another in our omn Minds, seems plain to me, in chat ne
have no perception ot Durarion, but by contiderins ehe train ol Ideas,
char tatce cheir turns in our Inderstandinss. Wrtien that succestion ot
Ideas ceases, our perception ot Duration ceales ith it; Which every one
clearly experiments in himsols, Wrhilst ne Aceps Conndly, Whether an houe,
Or a day; a monch, or a vear; ot whrich Duration of chinos, Whilst he
Aecps, Or thintEs nOE, he has no perception at all, bur it is quite IOst to
him; and the moment wherein he leares oft to chink, till the moment
hebegins to thinkc asain, seem to him ro have no distance. And sOI
doube notbur it ould be ro a malrine Man, it it vere posible For him
toleep onls onc idea in his Mind, Without variation, and the succession
OP otters: And Wre sec, thac one wrtro tres his Thouohts very intently on
onechins, (0 as to talse but lirele notice ofthe succestion of Ideas That pals