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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 233, page id 778263916:0249
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=249
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Ibuse of
uniced in Nature, nOr no Patterns to De Meun Wrhereby Nen may adju
thems What the Word Murther, Or Sacrilese, (5c. Trsnitie, can never BC
Hnoun trom Phinss themlelres. There De mans of the parrs of those
complex Ideas, erhich are not visible in the Action it sCIF, the Incention
ofche Mind, or theRelation oFholy Thinss, wtich make a part oF Mur-
iber, Or Sacrilere, have no necestary connexion with che outmard and
vilible accion ot him thac commits cither: and the pullins. the Prioser
ofthe Cun, Wrich which the Murther is committed, and is all the Accion,
that, perhaps, is vilible, has no natural connexion with those orher Ldeas
that makseup the complex onc, ramed Murrher. Ther have their union
aud combinarion onls Erom che Onderstandins, Which unites them under
one Namme: but unitine cheni without any Kule, or Partern, it cannot be
buc chac ehe signification oF che Name, chat Ctands For such voluntarr Col.
lections, ould De osten various in the Minds of difterent Men, Who have
scarce any Ctandins Ruleto regulate chemselres, and their Norions ol suct
arbitrary Ideas by.
5. 8.Fiserue, common Dse, chat is che Rule oE Proprieti, may be sup-
Poled here toaftord some aid, to seitle the signification ot Lansuase; and
it cannoc be denied, but chat in some meature it does. Common usc
regulates the Meanine of ords pretr ell for common Conversation;
but no body havins an Auchoritr to eltablim the precile signitication of
Nords, nor determine to wrhat Ideas any one all annex them, com-
mon Vle is nor sufticient eo adjust chem to philolophical Discourtes; there
beins scarce ans Name, ol any very complex Idea, (to lay nochins ot
Ochers,) irtrichu, in common VI0, has noc a great lacitudo, and ertrich lce-
Dins wichinthe bounds oF Propriety; may not be made the sien or far dit-
ferent Ideas. Belides, the rule and meature ol Propricty it selF beins no
wrhere establiched, it is olten macter of dispute, Whiecher this or that way
OFulins a Word, De proprietr of Specch, or no. From all irhicli, it is evi
dent, thac the Names of such kind of very complex Ideas, are naturally
liable to this impersection, to be of doubetul and uncertain signitication;
and even in Men, that hare aMind to understand onc anocher, do not al.
ays Cand for the lame Idea in Speater and Elcarer. Phoushthonames
Glory and Gratiende be the lame in evers Mans mouth, chroush a wrhiole
Connerr, yet the complex collectire Idea, Wrhich every one thinks on, or
intends by chat Name, is apparently very difterene by Men ulins ihe
Pame Languagc.
6. 9. The may allo wherein the Names of mixed Modes are ordinarily
Tearned, does not a licele contribute to the doubtfulness of their senifica-
tion. For it re ill obserre hom Children learn Languages, we MaII
find, thac eo makre themi understand what the Names, ol simple Ldeas, or
Substances, Stand for, People ordinarily Mer them the chinq, Whereot
ther vould hare them have the Ldea; and then reveat to them the Name
that stands For ic, as White, Sreet, Mille, Sugar, Cat, D05. But as Formi-
xed Modes, especially the most marerial oF them moral Nords, the
Sounds are ulually learri d frst, and then to know what complex Ideas
Ther Stand for, ther are cither Beholden eo the explication ot others, Or
(rrtich happens For the most parE) are lest rorheir oivn Obserration and
Industry; irhich being little laid out in che search of the true and precile
meanins oFNames, thele moral Words are, in most Mens mouths, lictle
iore than baroSounds; or When they have anr, ris for the inost pare but
a very obscure and contused signification. And even those chemselves.
irtio have with more actention setled cheir Notions, do vet hardly avoid
cheinconretietee, 0 hare chem Manel tor cormplex Ideas, dicterent sro
those