# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0290
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0290?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 274, page id 778263916:0290
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=290
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000290.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 57 lines, status machine
# Lines: 57 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.

exteni of Tumane nomledee.
BOOKLV
that are ignorant oE Alcebra carinot imagine the Wonders in eliis kind
are to be done by ic; and erhat farcher Improvements and Helps, ad vari.
tageous to other parts ofRnomledee, the lagacious Mind of Nan may
Vec find our, tisnor easteto determine. This at lcast IBelieve, tlat che
Ideas oF Ouancier are noc those alone thatare capable of Demonstrarion
andHnomledse; and that ocher, and pertiaps more usetul parts of Con-
templacion, rould aftord us Certainty, il Vices, Passions, and donri-
necrirs Interests did noc oppole, or menace such Fndcavours.
The dea ot a supreme Beins, intinite in Porver and Wisdom, wrhole
Workimanshix re are, and on whom re deperul; and the Idea ot our
selres, as understandine, rational Creatures, beins such as are clear in uS,
Would,. I suppole, il duly considered, and pursued, attord such Founda-
rions ot our Duty and Rules oF Action, as misht place Moralicy amonest
ihe Sciences capaele of Demonstration; Wherein I douDe nOE, BUE FrOm
Principles, as incontestable as those of the Mathematicks, Dy necessary
Consequences, the mealures oF risht and urons mighr De made out, toany
one that rill apply himsels rith the same Indittereney and Aetention tO
theore, as he does to the other ofthese Sciences. The Relation ot ocher
Modes may certainls be perceired, as well as those of Number and FX-
tension; and P cannot sec Why thez Bould not also De Capable ot Deron-
Stration, if due Methods ivere thouche on ro exammine, or pursue cheir
Agroement or Dilagreement. Where there is no Proprietr, there 15 10
Injustice, is a Propositionas certain as ans Demonstration in Fuclid: POr
the Idea ot Properer, beins a risht to ans chins; and the Idea eo wrtrichi
the name Injultice is given, beins che Inration ox Violation ot that riehe;
it is evident, thatthese Ideas beins ehus cMlablithed, and these names an
rexed tothem, L can as certains bnom chis Proposition tobe true, as
that a Friansle has chree Ansles equal to trorisht ones. Again, 1060-
vernment allous absolure Liberry, ehie Idea ot Grovernment beins the esta-
blisiment of Sociey uxon certain Rules Or Lars, Wtrich require Contor-
mitr ro them; and the Idea of absolute Liberer, Deing for auy one co do
erhacever he pleales; Iam as capable of being certain of the Truth ot thiis
Proposirion, a5 oF ans in MathematickS.
5. 19. Thac which in this respect has siven the advantase to the Ideas
OE Ouantity, and made themthousht more capable of Cerraints and De-
monstration, is,
First, Thac they can be ser dorn, and represented by sensible marks
erhich have a greater and nearer Correspondence ich themthan a.
ny Words or Sounds whatloever. Diagrams drann on Paper are
Copies of the ideas in the Mind, and not liable to the Incertaintis that
Words carry in their Signification. An Anglo, Circle, or Square, drain
in Lines, lies open cothe vie, and cannot be miltalien: it remains un
chanseably, arid may at leisure beconsidered, and examined, end theDe-
monttration berevised, and all the parts of it may be sone over more than
onco, rithout any danger ot the least change in the Ideas. This CannOt
De thusdone in moral Ideas, We have no sensible martes that resemble ihem,
Whereby e can set them donn; e have nochins but Words to exprels
eliem bys Wrhrich though, When trrieten, ther remain the same, vet the
Fdeas they Rand For, may change in the lame Man; and tis very seldom,
that cher are not different in ditterent Perions.
Secondly, Another ching that matres the greater difficules in Ethicks,
is, Thatmorat Ideas are commoniy more complex than thole oF the Fi
cures ordinarily considered in Mathematicks: trom erhence these trrotn.
conveniences tollo: First, Fhac elieix mames are ot more uncerrain Six.
nisacatior,