# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0133
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0133?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 117, page id 778263916:0133
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=133
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000133.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 59 lines, status machine
# Lines: 59 recognised, mean confidence 0.90
# 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.

her
ine
the
Or
CMap. XIZ
Has a Clear Laea OL LOWEF, It serres as vell tomy purpole, sensation beine
one of those wars, Whereby ehe Mind comes br its Sdeas; onty Ithoushe
it worth while to consider here by the ray, Whether the Mind doch not
receive its Idea oF active Pover clearer trom reflection on its omn Opera-
tions, than it doth from any external Senlation.
6. 5. This at least I think evident, That we Aind in our selVes a POVer
toberin or Forbear, continue or end several, Thoughs of our Minds, and
Motions ot our Bodies, barely by the choice or preterence ol our Minds.
This Porer the Mind has to preter the Consideration of any Idea, t0 the
noc considerins it; Or to preter the Motion oF ans part of the BodY, to
its Relt, is that, LthintE, We CaII thOWIII; and the actual preserrins one +O
another, is that re call Volirion, or Willine. The poreros Perception,
is chat we call the Vnderstanding: Perception, Which we matre the aet
ofthe Inderstandins, is ol chree (orts: I. ThePerceprion ol Ideas in our
Minds. 2. The Perception oF the signification of Signs. 3. ThC Perce-
ception ol the Aereement or Dilagreement of any distinct Ldeas. AII
ehiele are attributed to the Onderstanding, or perceptire Porver, thougn
it be tothe tro latter, that in strietness of Spcech, the act of Onderstan:
dins isulually applicd.
9. 6. Thele Porersoftheminc, viz. Of Perccivins, and of Preterrine,
are ulually call d by anocher name; and the ordinary raz of Spcakins is,
That the Inderstandins and Will, are tro Faculcies ofthe Minds a word
prover enoush, il it be used as all Words Mouldbe, s0 as nocto brecdany
contusion in Mens Thoughus, by beins suppoled (as I luspect it has been)
tostand For somereal Beinos in che Soul, chat pertormed thole Actions ol
Onderstandins and Volition. For When we lay the Willis the comman-
dins and superiour Faculer ofthe Soul; that it is, or is not trec; that it de-
termines theinferiour Faculties; that it follors the Dictates of the Vnder-
Aandins, SSc. choush chelo and the like Exprestions, by thole that care.
fully attend to their omn ideas, and conduet their Thouehts more by thc
evidence of Fhines, than the sound of Words, may be understood in a
clear and distinct sense; vet P suspect. T Pay, that this warol speakrine ol Fa
culties, has missedmany into a consuled Notion ol so many distinct AgentS
inus, hick had cheir several Provinces and Authorities, and did command,
ober, and pertorm several Actions, as lo mans distinet Beinss; Wrtrich has
been no small occation ol trranslins, obscurit, and uncertainer in due
Rions relatins to them.
6. 7. Fiverr one, L Thinkc, finds in himselE a pOrver to begin or Forbear,
continue or put an end to several Actions in himselF. The porver the Mind
las at any time to preter any particular one ot thole Actions to its For
Bearance, or Vice versa, is that Facules wrhich, 25 I have Paid, Wve call the
TViB; the actual exercile ol chat Porver We call Volition; and the for-
bearance or pertormance ot that Action, consequent to such a prelerence
ofthe Mind, is cald Voluntary. Hlence e haveche Ideasol Libertyand
Necesser, Wrhich arise Trom theconsideration ol the exrent of this POVer
OE the Mind over theActions, not onls ot the Mind, but chewhole Agent,
che wrtole iMan.
G. 8. AII the Actions that re have any Idea ot reducins chemlclves, 25
has been Caid, to these two, viz. Thinkins and Motion, (o tar as a Nlan has
aporver tothinte, or noc tothinls; to move, or noctomove, accordins to
etic preterence ot his omn choice, Totar is a Man Frec. WherO-CVer anY
pertormance or Torbearance are not equally in a Mans porer; Where-
ver doins or nor doins, illnot equalsy follon upon che preterence ol his
Mind, Chere He isnot Firee, chousl pertaps che Action may be voluscarr