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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 103, page id 778263916:0119
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Tansiver, AII the Ldeas that are considered as havine Parts, arid are ca
pable olincrease by the addirion of any equal or lels Darts, attord us by
choir repetition the ldea of Intinity; becaule with this enalels repetition
ehere is continued an enlarsement, of irhich there can be no end. BuE
in other Ideas it is nor (o; For tothe larsest Idea oF Extention Or. Dura-
tion thac P at present have, the addition of any the least part malces an in-
creale; but torhe persectest Idea L have ofthe Whitest Whironess, is Tadd
another oF a lels or equal Whitenels, (and oF a wrhriter than I have, I Can
not add the Idea,) it malres no increale, and enlarses not my Idea at aIl;
and theretore the differene Ideas ot Whitencls, (50. are called Degreos.
For those Ideas that consist ot P’arts, are capable of being ausmented by
everr addirion of the least part; but if vou take the Idea oFWhire, irhicle
one parcel ot snoir vielded resterdar to our sistue, and another Idea ot
Wrhite trom anocher parcel ot snon rou lec to day, and pur themtoge.
ther in rour Minc, elies embody, as it vere, and run into onc, and che
Idea oF Whirenels is not at all increased; and il we add a lels degree ot
Whitenels to a oreater, ve are (0 far trom increasine, that ve diminimt it.
Thole Ldeas that consist noc os Parts, cannot be augmented to What pro-
portion Nen please, or De stretched berondrhat they have reccived by
cheir Senses; but Space, Duration, and Number, beine capable ol increale
by repetition, leare in the Mind an Ldea oF an endless room For more;
Por can e conceive an prhere a Cop to a tarther Addition or Proorel
Lion, and (o those Ideas alone lead our Minds towards the ThoughE OF
Intinier.
S. 7. Thoughour Pdea oF Intinity arise trom che contemplation oF Duan-
ciry, and the endless increase the Mind is able eo malce in Ouanrity, by
che repeated additions ol irhat Portions thereot ic pleases; Vet I guels We
cause great contusion in our Thoughes, wrhen e join intinier toanr sup
Poled Idea ot Ouantity the Mind can be thoushe tohave, and lo discourle
Or realon about an intinite quantitr as an intinite Space, or an intinire
Duration: For our Idea of Infiniey beins, as Tchinli, un endless crovine
Idea but ehe idea otany Ouantity the Mind has, beins at that time
terminated in that Idea, (For be it as Greatas it ill, it can be no greater
than it is,) eo join Intinier toit, is to adjust a standins mealure tO a DrOW
ins bulk; and cheretore Ichinte it is not an insisnificant subtiler it llay,
chat re are caretulls to distinguish betreen the Idea oF the Intiniey ot
Space, ardthe Idea of a Space intinite: The trst is nothine but a supposed
endlels Prooression oE ttie Minch, over What repeated Ideas oF Space it
pleases; Dut to have actually in the Mind the Idea oF a Space intinite, is
to suppose the Mind already passed over, and actualls to have a vier ot
all those repeated Ideas oF Spaco, Which an endlels repetition can never
totalls reprelentto it, which carries in it a plain controdiction.
5. 8. This, pertraps, Will be a lictle plainer, il re consider it in Num.
Ders. The infinitr ot Numbers, toche end ot irhole addirion evers one
perccires thereis no approach, casily appears eo any one that reflectson
it: But hor clear soerer this Sdea oF ehe Intinity of Number be, there is
nothins ret more crident than the absurditr of che actual idea ot an Infi
nice Number, Whatloever politire Ideas ve have in our Minds ot any
Space, Duration, or Number, let them De never (0 great, they are AilI
finire; but irhen e suppose an inexhaustible remainder, trom Wrhich Wo
remove all bounds, and wrherein re allor the Mind an endlels progrel
Tion oF ThoushE, Without ever compleatins the Idea, there We have our
Idea oF Insinier; Which though it seem eo be pretty elear, When WNC COn-
sider nochins else in ic, bur che resation ot an end, set when ve vould
Trame