# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0140 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0140?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 124, page id 778263916:0140 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=140 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000140.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 55 lines, status machine # Lines: 55 recognised, mean confidence 0.92 # 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. P0. B. Far hath not heard, nor hath entred intothe Fleart of Manto conceive. But Oflome deorees ot both, re have very livels impreltions made by leveral instances of Delight and Tor on the one side, and TOrmene and SOrroW on the other: Which, For Phortness sake, PMall comprehend under thenames OFPleasure and Pain, there being pleasure and pain of the Mind, a5 vell as the BodY: With Trim is fulness of Foy, and Pleasures for evermore: OP +0 Speak truly, they are all of the Mind; thoueh fome have their rise in ehe Mind trom Thoughr, ochers in the Body trom Motion. FTapviness then isthe utmost Pleature e are capable ot, and Miserr the utmost Pain. Nor because Plealure and Pain are produced in, us, by the opcration ot certain Obicats, cither on our Minds, or our Bodies; and in ditterent decrees: theretore irhrat has an aptnessto proctuce pleature in us, is thae Wre labour For, and is that re callGood; andrhat is apt to procuce pain in us, re avoid and call Fvil, For no ocher reason, but for its aptnessto produce Pleature and Pain in us, Wrherein consilts our happinels or milery. Farther, because the degrees et Pleature and Pain have allo justy a prete- rence; thouoh wrhat is apt to produce ans degree olPleature, be in ir selF Sood; andihat is apt to produce any degrec ot Pain, becril; vet it of. ten happens, that we donot call ic lo, wrhen it comes in competition mitt a Freater oF its POrt. So that if we ill righels estimate irhrat we call 600d and Pvit, we Mall Aind it lies much in comparison: For the caule OE every less desree of Pain, as vell as every greater degree ot Pleature, has thenature ot crood, and vice versa, and is that wtrich determines our Choice, and challenses our Prelerence. C00d then, the grearer 600d is that alone which determines the WV ill. 6. 30. This is noc an imperfection in Nlan, it is the hiphest persection oF intellectuel Natures: it is (0 Par From beine a restraint or diminution of Freedom, that it is the very improvement and benefit OF it: tis not an Abriedmene, tis tho end and ule ot our Liberty: and the farther we are removed trom such a determination to Good, che nearer We are t0 Misery and Slavery. A perfect Inditteroney in the Will, Or Poer of Prelerrins, noc decerminable by the G00d or Lvil, that is thouoht to actend its Choice, vould be so tar trom beins an advantase and excellener of any intelleEtual Nature, that it vould be as preat an im- perfection, as the want os Inditferener to aet, or not to act, till determi- ned by che Will, vould be an impertection on che ocher side. A Man is at liberty to lit ux lris Frand eo his Hlead, or let it rest quiet: Ele is perlectls indifferent tocither; aud it mould be an imperfection in him, it he wanted thatPorer, it he wero deprived ot that Indifterener. But it ould beas preat an imperfection, il he had the same Indittereney, whe ther he rould preter the littins ux his Fand, or its remainins in relt, wrten ie irould sare his Flead or yes trom a blor he sees comins: tis 2ucn a perfection that the pover of Preferrine sould be determined by 60od as that the porver oF Actins Mould be determined by the Will; and the certainer such determination is, the sreater is the pertoction. G. 3F. IF re looh uponthose superiour Beines above us, Who enjoy per- Fect Flappinels, We Mall havereason to judse they are more Aeadily deter- mined in their choice of 600d than we: andz et re hare norcasonto thinte theyare less happr, or less trec, thanreare. And it it ere sic For luch poor tinite Creatures as re are, to pronounee ertiat intinite Wildom and Coodness could do, Tthink we miohe Pay, That Crod himsel(cannot choole wrhatis noc sood; the Fredom ot chie Almishus hinders nor his be ins determined by erhat is best.