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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 180, page id 778263916:0196
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True and False Ideas.
Violet, be ontr a peculiar Lexture of Parts, or elsC ThaF very CoIOUT, FHE
Idea Whereos (Which is in us) is the exact resemblance. And it is equals
rom that Appearance, eo be denominated Blue, Wrhether it De chat reat
Colour, or only a peculiar Texture in il, that causes in us that Paea: Since
thie Name Blue notes properiy nothine, but thatmtark ot Diltinction, rhat
is in a Violet discernable onlr by our Fres, Whaterer ie consilts in, chae
Deine berond our Capacities distinetr to lenoi, and, perhapo, would bc
oflessule to us, if re had Faculties to discern.
6. F5. Neither vould it carry any imputation oF Falhood to our sim-
pledeas, if by the different Structure ot our Organs, it vere lo ordered,
That the same Object Bould produce in severnl Mens Minds disserent Ideas
at the same time; v. 9. isthe Ldea, that a Violet produced in onc ManS
Mind by his Fres, ivere the same that a Marisold produced in anorhei
Mans, andvice versa. For sincechis could never be knomn: becausc one
Nans Mind could noc pals inro anocher HanS Bodr, to perceive what
Appearances vero produced by thole Organs; neither the Ideas hereby,
nOr thc Names, Would bC at all contounded, or any Faltood be in
Cither. For alLThines that had che Texture ot a Violet, producinq con-
Stanely che Sdea, irtich he called Blue; and chose wrhich hadche Pexture
OF d Marigold producinq constant the Idea, Wrhich he as constantis
called Vellor, irhratever chole Appearances rvere in his Mind; he rontd
be able as regulariy to distinguisti Thingo For tis Vse by those AppCaran.
Ces, and understand, and signisie those distinctions, marked by the Names
Blue and Zelloir, as il the Appearances, or Ideas in his Mind, received
Fromthole tro Florvers, vere exactly the same with the Ideas in other
Mens Minds. Jam nevertheless very apt to thint, char the sensible Ideas.
produced by ans Object in ditterent Mens Mincs, are molt commonty
very near and undiscernably alihe. For wrhich Opinion, Lthink, there
misht be mans Reasons oftered; but chat beins belides my prelent Busi
ness, TMalLnot trouble my Reader with chem; buc onsy mindhim, chat
the contrary Supposition, il it could be proved, is of little ule, cither for
the Improvement ot our Rnomledse, or Convenieney ot Lite; and lo e
necd not trouble our selves to examine it.
6. 16. From what hasbeen laid concernins our simple ideas, I chink, it
evident, Thac our simple Idcas can none of them De faise, in respect of Thines
exictins without us. For the Fruch oF chele AppearanCeS, Or PerceptiOnS
in our Minds, consisting, as has been said, only in cheir beins ansiverable
tothe Povers in external Obiects, to produce by our Senses such Appea
rances in us: and cach ot them beins in the Mind, such as it is, suitable
to the Porer that prodtuced it, and erhich alone it reprelents, it cannot
uxon that ACcOnnE, or as referrd to such a Pattern, be Falsc. Bluc or
Zellor, Bitter or Sivect, can never be false Ideas, thiele Perceptions in
the Mind, are just such as thez are there, antiverins the Povers appointed
by God toproduce them; and (o are truls erhat they are, and are inten-
ded tobe. Indeed the Names may be milapply d; buc that inthisrespect,
maties no Falcood inthe Ideas: AS if a Man ignorant in the Fnelist
Tongue, Pouldcall Purple, Scarler.
9. 17. Secondly, Nether can our complex Ideas of Modes, in reference io
the Fssence of any Thine really existine be false. Becaule Wrhatever com-
Plex Idea I hare ofary Mode, it hath no reterence to ans Pattern exist.
ins, and made by Nature: it is not supposed to contain in it any other
Ideas, than What ic Math; nor to reprelent any. thing. bur such a Compli-
cation of Ldeas, as it docs. Thusirhen Phavethe Laca oF Tuch an Action
ot 2 Mam, Who sorbearsto aFord timsels suct Meat, Cinte, and Cloathire
and
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