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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 178, page id 778263916:0194
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n at l’alse caea.
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5. 6. These Suppoltions, the Mind is verr apt Facitlr. EO malze Concer-
rins itS Orrn Ldeas. But yet if re will examine ic, we alI And it is chieAy.
il noc ouls concernins its abstraet complex Ideas. For the natural ten
dener of cheMind being torards Rnomledoo, and Aindino iF it Mould pro-
ccedbi, and dvell upon only particular Thines, its Progress wouldbeve-
ry Poir, and ies Work endless: Theresore to Borren its may to Rnomledoe.
and malse cach Perception the more comprehentive; the Arst Thing it
does, as the Foundation of the calier enlargins its Rnomlecge, cither by
Concemplation ot the thinos themselves, that it vould kno; or conte-
rence with others about chem, is eo bind them into Bundles, and ranke then
C0 into fOrES, that Wvhat Rnomledse it sets ol any of them, it may there-
by rich acturance extend eo all oF that (ort; and so advance by larger Cteps
in that rtrich is its great Businels, Rnowledgo. This, as Ihave elsemhere
Mrewed, is ehe Rcason erhy we collect Fhings under comprehensire Ideas,
wich Names annexed to them into Genera and Species; i. e. into hinds,
and TOrES.
5. 7. Is cheresore we will arily atcend to the Norions oF the Minc, arel
observe rhat Couse it ulually taktes in its ar to Hnorledoe, Wve al, I
think, find that the Mind havins goc any Idea, Whch it thintes ic may
tave use of cither in Contemplation or Dilcourse; the trst Thino it does, is
to abstract it, and then get a Name to it; and so lay it up in its score houle.
thememorr, as containing the F. sence ot a Port os Things, oF ehich thaL
Name is alrars to be the Mark. Ilence it is, thar we may olten oblerve
that when any one sees a ne Fhing os a bind chac he knos not, he pre-
Sently astes Wwhrat it is, meaning by that Enguiry nochine bur the Name.
As it the Namccarried Wictr it cheknow ledee ot the Species, or the Essence
oEic; vhereotit is indeed uled as che Marke, and is generallys supposed an-
nexed to ic.
5. 8. But this abstraet Idea beina Lomethins in the Mind berween the
thing ehac exists, and the Name that is giren toit, it is in our Ldeas, chat
Both the Righeness oF our Rnomledse, and the Proprietr or Intellisible.
ness ot our Spealcins consilts. And hence it is, that Men are loForward
to suppose, that the abstract Ideas they have in their Mincs, are such as
arree tothe Things existins mithout them, to which ther are referrd:
and are the same alio, to whiehthe Names ther oire chem, do by the V(C
and Propriees oF thatLansuase belons: Por Without chiis double confor-
misy of their Edeas, they find, cher Mould boch think amiss of Thines in
chemselres, and talle ot themunintelligibly to othiers.
8. 9. First Ten, LCaY, That wben ihe Truth of our Ideas is judged of
Bythe Conformity therhave to the Ideas Which other Menhave, and com-
monty sienise Br the same Name, they may be any of them false. But s et
simple Ideas are least oF al liable to be lo mistaten. Becaule a NIan by his
Senses, and everr Days Obserration, may calils sariste himselF, Wrhat the
simple Pdeas are, Which their several Names, thac are in common ule
Aand For, they beine but tem in Number; and such, as it he doubts, oe
mistabes in he may casilz rectifie by the Objects cher are to be found in.
Therelore it is seldom, that any one mistalres in his Names oF simple Pdeas:
or applies the Name Red, tothe Idea ot Circen; or the Name Sirect, 10
the Idea Birter: Much lessareMen apt to consound the Names, Belono-
ins eo different Senses; and cal a Colour, by the Name ot a Jacte, (5c.
Whereos it is erident, chat ehe simple Ldeas, they call by ans Name, are
commouls ele lame, thac orhers have and mean, urhen chey use chelame
Wames.
8.