# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0101 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0101?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 85, page id 778263916:0101 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=101 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000101.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 63 lines, status machine # Lines: 63 recognised, mean confidence 0.87 # 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. n d is es sC 20 u Duration, and its simple Modes in his Mind Whils he is tatien ux ith thac carnest Conremplation, lets Aip out oF his Account a good part of that Duration, and thinks that tiime Morter than it is. Buc il Decp commonle unite the distent parts ol Dura- tion, it is, becaule durinq that time e hare no succection ot ldeas in our Minds. For il a Man durins his Slcep, dream, and variety ot Ideas makie themselres percoptible in his Mind one aster anothor, he hath theri, durine such dreamine, a Sense oF Duration, and of the lenech of it. By Which it is to me verr elear, thac Men derire their Ideas ot Duration, Crom their Reftection on the train of the Ideas, ther oblerre to succeed one another in their omn Onderstandings, without ihich Oblerration they can have no Vorion oE Duration, Whacerer mas happen inthe Worid. 5. 5. Indced a Man, tavins Trom refloctins on the succesion and Num ber oE his omn PheusHEs, Sot the Norion, or Idea ot Duration, He Can apply chat Notion eo thines, Wrhieh exist wrhillt he does notchinte; as he, that has got the Idea o Extension trom Bodies by his Sishe or Touctu, can apply it to ditances, where no Body is seen or Felt. And theretore, thoush 2Nan have no Perception of tho lensth of Duration, Wlich past Whilst he Dept, or thousht noc: Vec harins obserred the Rerolution ot Days and NiohEs, and foundthe leneth ot their Duration to be in Appearance regular and constane, he ean, upon the supvolition, thrat that Revolution has proceeded aster the lame manner, Whils he ras aslecp or thoughe nOt, as it uled to do et other times, he can, Play, imagine and matio al- lorvance For the lensth oE Durarion Wtilst he ACPE. But il Adam and Fve (When cher vere alone in the World) instead ol their ordinary Niches Slcex, had passed that, and the followins 2g hours in one conti- nued Slecp, the Duration os char 2 4 hours had been irrecoverably lost tO them, and been tor ever letr out oE cheir Account oF timo. 9. 6. Thus by reflectine on the appearins of various ldeas, one after ano- eber in our Dnderstandinzs, me cet the Notion of Succession; Which il anx one hould thinti, Wre did rather set trom our Obserration of Morion by our Senles, he will pertiaps, be of ny Mind irhien he considers that even Motion produces in his Mind an Ldea OFSUCCEHiON, no Other- erile than as it produces there a continued train ol distinguistrable Ideas. For a Man lootrins uxon a Bod realls movins, perceires zet no Motion at all, unless chat Motion produces a constant train of successive Ideas. V. 5. 2 MIan becalmed at Sea, OuL OF SIBHEOS Land, in a fair DaY, may Iook on the Sun, or Sea, or Strix, a wtrole hour rogether, and perceiveno Motion at alt in cither; thoush it be cerrain, that ero, and vertraps all of them, have moved, durins that time, a great vas: But as soon as he perceires cither ol chem to have chansed diltance with lome other Body 25 soon as thisMorion produces any nem Idea in him, then he percoires, that there has Been Mocion. But Whore ever a Manis, rith all things at rest about him, wieliout perceirins ans Mocion at all; il durins this hour ot quiee he has been chinkins, he will perccire the various Ideas of his omn Thoushes in his omn Mind, appearins one atter another, and there by obserre, and Eind Succession, whiero he could observe no Motion. 6. 7. And ehis, TchintE, is the RCaION, Why Motions very Mon, Fhou∞H ther are constane, are not perceivedb us; becaule in their remove trom one sensible part corrards anocher, their chanse ot distance is (o NOW, thaF it causes no ne Laeas in us, Duca rood rhrile one alter anocher: And (0 ROE CaUIInS a ConStaHE train OF new Ideas, to follor one anocher immedi- atelr in our Minds, e hare no Perception oF Mocion; Whieh consistine in a constane Succestion, re cannot perceire that Succestion, without a constont Succestion ot varyins Edeas arilins scom it. 3. 6. D.