# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0215
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0215?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 199, page id 778263916:0215
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=215
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000215.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine
# Lines: 56 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.

Names of simple Ideas.
Idea ofthe cause oE Lisht, il we had ix never (0 exact, mould no more
sire us the Idea oE Lishe it selF, as it is such a particular perception
inus, than, the Laea of the Figure and Motion of a Marp picce of Stecl,
vould gire us the Ldea oEthac Pain, wtrich it is able to cause in US. POr
the cause of any Senlation, and the Senlation it selP, in all the simple Ideas
otone Sense, are erro Ideas; and ero Ldeas lo disterent, and distant one
trom another, that no trro can be more 10. And cheretore Mould Des
Carress Globules Strike never (0 lons on the retina ol a Man, WHO WaS
blind by a Gucra Serena, he Wouldcherebs never have ans idea o Lislt
or any thins approachins to it; thoust he underttood what little Gilo-
bules ere, and Wrhat etrikine on another Body Was, never (0 Well.
6. TF. Simple Ideas, as has been Merrec, are only to be got By thole im.
pressions Objects themselres makre on our Minds, by the proper Inlets ap-
Pointed eo cach Port. IEthey are not receired chis waz, all ehe Words in
the Worid, made use of to explain, or define any of their Names, will never
De able to produce in us the Idea iestands for. For Nords beine Sounds,
ean produce in us no other simple Ideas, than olthose very Sounds; nor
excito any in us, but by that voluntary connexion, Wrhich is hnonnto
De betreen them, and those simple Laeas, Whrich common Vle has mace
them Signsof. Fe that thinles othervise, let him ery it any Words can
sire him the taste ofa Pine- Apple, and makce him have the true Idea oF
theRelithof that celebraced delicious Fruit. 50 Car as ho is told it has a
relemblance rith any Tactes, Whereot he has the ideas alreads in his
Memory, imprinted there by sensible Objects not Stransers to his Pa-
late; (0 tar may he approachi thac resemblance in his Mind. Buc this is
noc sivins us Fhac Ldea by a Detinition, bur excitins in us other simple
Ideas, by their Hnonn Names; Which will be still very disferent From
the true Fastes of that Fruit ic selF. In Light and Colours, and all other
Simple Ideas, it is the same thing: for the signification of Sounds, is not
natural, buc only impoled and arbitrary. And no detinition ol Licht, Or
Redness, iS more Acted, or able to produce cither or those ideas in uS
than the (ound Lighe, or Red, by it SolF. For to hope to produce an Idea
OFLieht, or Colour, by a Sound, horrevertormed, isto expeet that sounds
Mould De vilible, or Colours audible; and to makre the Parsdo the orice
oFaII other Senses. Wrhich is all onc a5 to lay, thac we mislutTalte,
Snell, and See, by the Fars: a Port oF Philolophy worchr only ot Sanco
Panca, Who hadthe Faculey to sec Dulcinea by PPeartar. And theretore
he thac has not belore received into his Minc, by che proper Inlet, che
Simple Idea Wrhrich ans Word Aands for, ean never come to linov the
Cignification of that Word, br ans other Words, or Sounds, Wrhatloerer
put tosether, accordins ro any Rules of Detinition. The ouly naz is.
by applrins tohis senses the prover Object; and lo producine thar Idea
in him, For which he has learn d che name alread A Audious Blind
Nan, Wrho had mislutils beat his Flead about visible Obiects, and made
use of the explication ot his Books and Friends, to understand those names
OF LighE, and Colours, Which otten came in his way; brage d onc day
Thar he no understood what Scarlet signitied. Upon rhich his Priend
dlemandine, whar Scarlet ras: the blind Man answered, It was likethe
Sound oF a TruIPet. Sust such an Onderstandins ot the name ot any
Otter simple Idea Willhehave, Whohopes to ger it omly trom a Detini
tion, or other Words made ule ofto explain it.
6. F2. The case is quire ocherrise in complex Ideas; Which consistine
OFsereral simple ones, it is inthe porrer of vords, standins for the seve-
ral Ldeas, chac malce thar Composition, to imprint complex Ideas in the
Mina,