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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 168, page id 778263916:0184
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Distinet and confused Ideas.
his Ideas FO Fhat Degree, Without LOsInS SigHF OF them, let him add ten
Exphers to cach oF ehose Numbers; For thac ill brins it no Rearer che
end of intinite Division, than the Airst hals docs. I must consels tor my
Part, Lhave no clear, distinct Ldeas ofthe ditterent Dull, or Extention ot
those Bodies, havins but a vers obscure one ot cither of chem. Sothat, l
chine, When re talkoF Dirision oF Podies in insinirum, our Idea oF their
distinet BulKS Or Fxtension, Wrhieh is che Subject and Foundation oE Divi-
sions, comes to be consounded, and almost lost in Obscurier. POr tat Idea,
Wrhich is eo represene ony Bixnels, multbe very obscure and contused, rtrick
We cannot distinguitt trom one ren times as bis, but ouly by Number:
Co chat ehrare clear, distinet Ideas, we may laz of Pen and Onc, buE no
distinet Ideas OF FVO TuCH FXTensiOnS.Fis plain From hence, chat when
We talk os infinite Dirisibility oP Bod, or Extension, our distinet and clear
Ideas are enty of Numbers: but the clear, distinst Tdeas OF FXLenSIOM, aEFOr
Lome Prosrels of Dirision, is quite los: and of luch minure Parts, ve have
no distinet Ldeas at all; bur it returns, as aIl our Ideas of intinite do, at
last eo that oF Number alirars to De added; buE thereBY neveE aIOUMISLO
any distinct Idea oF actual, infinite Parrs. Wehare, tis true, a clear Idea
Ot Division, as olter. as e will think ofic: but thereby re hare no more
a Elear Idea ot infinito Parrs in Matter, than e have a clear Ldea OF an in-
finite Number, by beins able still eo acd ner Numbers to any astigred
Number rehare: endless Divisibiliey sirine us no more a clear and di-
Rinct Idea oF actually intinite Parrs, than eneless Addibilier (is Imay (0
Speak) sires us a clear anddistinct idea oF an actually intinire Number:
ther bochbeins onlr in a Porver sill of increasins theNumber, be ic alrea-
dy 25 great as it Will. Sotharofwhar remainsto be added, (Whercin consilts
the Tntinier, ) re have but an obleure, impertect, and contuled Idea; trom
Or abour irhich re can argue, or reason witle no Certainer or Clcarne(S, n0
more than re can in Arithmeticks, about a Number os wvhrich ve have no
Tuch distinct Ldea, a5 e hare OF 4 or 400; bur onty this relative obseure
one, that compared to anz other, it is sill bigger: and re have no more
a clear, Politire Idea ol ic, When re lay or conceire it is bisger, or more
than 400, 000, 000, than il re Bould lay, it is bisger than 40, Or
4: 4000,000, 000, havine nonearer a proportion to the end ot Addition,
or Number, than q. For hechat adds onls 4 t0 4, and so procccds, MaI
as soon come ro the end oF all Addition, as hethat adds 100, 000, 000, +0
400,000,000. Arid (o litemise in Fterriier He Fhar Ras an Idea eF but tour
rears, has as much a polutire compleat Idea oE liternies, 25 HC that has
onc oF 400,000, 000oF Vcars: For what remains of Fternier berond ci.
ther ot these tro Numbers oF Vears, is as clearto the one as the otter;
1. e. neicher oEthem has any clear positive Ldea ot it at aII. FOr he Fat
adds onty 4 Pears to 4 and so on, all as Toon reach Fternier, as he
that adds 400000,000oF Vcars, and (0 on; or it he please, doubles the
Increase as Otten as he Will: The remainins AByIS beins RiIl as tar be-
rond the end oF all these Progrestions, as it is trom the lenothOt a DaY,
Or aN FTOUT. For nochins Anite, bears anr proxortion co intinite; and
thereforeour Ideas, Whichare all finire, Cannot DCaP anY. ThuS it is al.
So in our Idea ot Fxtension, When re increase it br Addition, as ell as
Wrtren e diminis ic by Dirision, and rould enlaros our Thoughs toin-
Anite Space. After a Per doublinos ot those Ideas ot Extension, which are
the larsest re are accustomed to hare, re lose the clear distinct Idea ot
that Space: ic becomes a contusedly great onc, with a Surplus oF sill grer-
ter; about rhich, When re rould aroue, or reason, we hall alvars find
our sclres at a lols; consuled Ideas in our Arguinss, and Deductions tro
Ehiem, alrass leadins us into contusion.
CAAP.