# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0135
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0135?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 119, page id 778263916:0135
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=135
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000135.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine
# Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.91
# 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.

Ctrap. LLI.
6. r2. As ic is in the Morions oFthe Bod), (0 it is in the THOuSHIES ot
our Minds; Where ans one is luchu, that re hare porver to take it up, Or
lay it br, accordins tothe preference ofthe Mind, there weare at libertr.
A akeins Man beins under the neceltiey oF havins some Ldeas con-
Cantlr in his Mind, is noc at liberer tothinke, or not to chinke; no more
than he is at liberer, whether his Bocly Mall touch any ocher, or no: But
Whether he ill remore his Contemplation trom one idea to another, is
many times in his choice; and thenhe is in respect of his Ideas, as much
at liberer, as he is in respect of Bodies he rests on: FTC can at plealure re-
move himselE trom one to anocher. Bur vet Pone Ideas to the Mind,
like fome Mlotions to the Bod, are such, as in certain circumstances
it cannor avoid, nor obtain their absence by the utmost eftorr it can
ule. Aetan on theRack, is not at liberty to lay by the Idea oE pain,
and entertain other Conremplations; and lomerimes a boilterous Pastion
hurries our Thoustus, as a tlurricane does our Bodies, without leavine
is the liberey of thinking on other thines, prhich re rrouldrather chuse:
But as Toon as the Mind resains the porer to stop or continue, begin or
forbear any oFthese Motions oF the Body without, or Thoustus within,
accordins as it thinks fic to preter cither to the other, then e consider
ihe Man a5 a free Agent again.
6. F3. Where ever ThoushEis Wholly wantins, orthe porver to act or
Torbear, there Necessity tates place. This in an Asent capable of Voli-
tion, wrtien the beginninu or continuation of any Action is contrary to
chat preserence ob his Mind, is called Compulsion; When the hindrins or
Soppins any Action is contrars to his Volition, ic is called Restraint.
Axens chac hare no Thouxte, no Volirion ac all, are in evers chiins ne.
cessary Agents.
6. T4. Hthis bes0, (25 Timagine it is,) Lleare it to be considerec, the-
ther it may nOc helB tO put an end to that lono agitated, and, P chink, un-
realonable, becaule unintellisible, Ouection, viz. W hether Mans Will be
frec,or no. FOr iF Imiltalee not, it follous trom wrhat Phave laid, that the
Ouection it self is altogether improper: And it is as insieniticant t0 ast,
Whether Mans Will BC Frec, as, to aske, Whether his Sleepbe Sritt, or his
Vertue square; Liberty beins as little applicable to the WilI, as Twistness
oF Motion is to Slcep, or squarenels to Vertue. verr one vould laush
at the absurdier of sucha Ouection as cither ol thele, becaule it is obvious,
that thie modificarions of Motion beino norto Rccp, nor the difference ot
Fioure to Vertue; and when any one well considers it, P chinkche ill as
plainls perceire, that Liberey, erhich is but a porver, belones only to A-
SenES, aud cannot be an attribute or moditication oE the Will, Whict is
al(O BUE a POIVer.
8. F5. Volition, tis plain, is nothine bur the actual choosing or preter.
rine Forbearance to the doino, or doins to the Forbearance, ot anv parti-
cular ACtion in oux porrer, that we think on. And WMat is FHC WII, buE
the Faculty to dochis: And is char Faculey ans chins more in eftect, than
a Pover, the poiver ot preterrins any Action to its Forbearance, or
vice versa, 25 tar as it appears to depend on us: Por can it be donied
tlaE irhatever Asent has a porver to thinte on its orn Actions, and
to preserr their doine or omistion citter to other, has that Facul-
ex calid Will. Nill thenis nochins bur such a pover; Liberty, on the
ocher side, is the porrer a Man hasto do er torbear doins any particular
ACtion, accordins as its doing or Forbearance has the actual preference
ia che Mincu rhich is che lamie chirs 3s 10 (a7, aecorcine as he himiete
WilIS iE.
5. 16