# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0265 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0265?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 249, page id 778263916:0265 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=265 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000265.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine # Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.90 # 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. nn ons )i Oras. ChieAy these threc: First, Zo make tenonn one Man S FHOuCHES OE Ldeas eo another. Secondly, Fo do it with as much ease and quicteness, a5 i5 possible; and Thiralr, Thereby to conver tue Rnovledre oF Thines. Lari- suase is cicher abused, or deliciene, erhen it fails in any of chese ThICC. First. Nords Fail in the Arst oFchese Fnds, and lay not openi one ManS Ideas eo anothers riew. First, When Nen have names in their Mouchswich. out any clear and distinet Ldeas in their Minds, Whereofther arethe (IgnS;OP Secondlr, Whenther apply the common receired names ol any Lanouase to Ideas, co Which the common ule ol chat Language does not applY them; Or Thiraly. When cher apply ehiem very unsteadily, maline ehem stand nou for one, and by and by For another Idea. 6. 24. Secondly. Men Fail oF converins their ThoughEs, with aII the quickeness and ease chat may be, wtren cher have complex Ideas, Withoue havins distinct names For them. This is Lometimes the Pault oF the L an: Euase it selF, Which has noc in it a Sound vet apply d to such a Sienifica- tion: And Lometimes the Pault of the Man, Who has noc vet learnd thc BaME FOF FaE Laea he rrould BeW anotHeT. 5. 25. Thircly, Thereis no Rnomledse oF Things convered by Mens Nords, Wrhen cheir Pdeas aoree not to the Realier oF Thines. Thougii it bea Delect, that has ies Grisinal in our Ideas, Whrich are not locontor: mable eo che Nature oF Things, as Aecention, Scudr, and application mishe malce chem: Tet it fails noc to extend it selF to our Words TOO. ertien ve ule them as Signs ol real Beings, irhich vet never hac any Rea- tity or Existence. 626. First, Fe chat hath W ords oF any Language, wictiout distinct Ideas in his Mind, to which he applies chem, does, lo Par as he ules them in Dis- courle, onty makre a noise withoue any sense or Signification; arid hou Learned soever he may seem by che use oF hard NN ords, or learned Perms is not much more advanced chereby in Rnomledse, than le vould be in Fearnins, wrho had nochine in his Study, but che bare Titles ot Boolis. Wvichoue pollessinq the Contents oF them. For aI uch Words, hoivever Dut into Discourte, accordins to the righe Construction of Crammatical Rules, Or the FTarmony of ell curnedberiods, do vet amount ro nochmE Dut bare sounds, and nochins clle. G. 27. Secondly, Fre char has complex Ideas, wichout particular names For them, vould be in no verrer a Case rhan a Boolc. seller, Whohad in his WVare houle Volumes that lay there unbound, and rithout Ticles; ertrich he could cherelore makre hnoon toochers, only by Mewins choloolehocio and communicate them only by Fale. This Man is hindred in his Dilcourse, Por irant of Words eo communicate his complex Ldeas, wrtrich he istheretore Corced to makre bnomn by an enumeration olthe simple ones that compose them; and so is tain otten touse twenty Nords, tO ex- Press wrhat anocher Man signities in Onc. 5. 28. Thiraly, LTechat ules nor constantly the Parrie Sisn For the TamC Idea buE ales the Tame Nords Lomerimes in one, and Cometimes in anga ther Signiheation, oughe to pals in tho Schiools and Conversation, For 25 fair a Mar a5 he does in the Market and Fxchanse, who sells several Thinos under ehe same rame. 6. 29. Fourthly, FIC that applies che WN ords oT any LangudECLO Ideass difterent Prori thole, ro Wrhich the common use ot chat Connerr applies them, Borever his omn nderstandins may be silled rich Fruch and Lishc, ill noc by such Words be able eo conver onc jor ol it to others without detinins. For horrever, the Soundsare such as are Familiarlis KHOWM