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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 283, page id 778263916:0299
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Reality of Knomledge.
cins cherein those Perceptions, Which by the Wisdom and Will ot our
Pater, they arc ordained and adapted to. From irhence it Sollors, that
simple Idens are not fictions OF oux Fancies, Dut the natural and reouilap
produetions ot Things without us, realls operatines uxon is; and (0
carey ith them all the conformier our Ctate requires, irhichi is eo repre
sent Phinss under thole appeorances they are futed to produce in us;
Whereby ive may distinsuisti the Substances they are in, and appli eliem
Eo our Oses. Thus the Idea OF WhicenCIS, Or Bitcernels, as it is in the
Mind, exactly anlverins chat Pover phich is in ary Body to produce ie
there, has allthereal contormity it can, or ouche ro tiore, irith Phines
rithont us. And this contormitr betreen our simiple Ideas, and the exi-
Aenee ol Phrines, is sufficient for real Rnomledge.
6. 5. SecondlY. AI our complex Ideas, except those of Substances, beine
Archeeypes otthe Mind soun makine, nor intended to be ihe Copies ot
any chivs, nor reterred to the existence of ans chins, as to tlieir Orisi
nalS, cannot mant any conformity necessary to real Rnomledee. For chat
rtich is noc desioned to represent any thiris bur it self can never be capable
OF arrono representation, nor millead us trom the truie apprehension ot
ariy chins, by its distibenels to ic; and uch, exceptins those ot sub.
Ecances, are all our complex Ldeas; Which, as I have Mered in anocher
place, are Combinarions oF Ideas, Wtrich the Mind, by its trec choico;
puts corether, without considerirs any connexion they have in Nature.
And heneo it is, that in all tHese POrEs the Ideas chemlelres are conside.
red as the Archetipes, and Thirgs no ocherwile regarded, Dut as therare
contormableto them. So that re cannor but be intallibly certairi: chat
all the Enorledoe o attain concernins thele Ideas is real; and reiches
Thines chemselres: Because in all our Thoughes, Reasonines, and Dil
courles oFthis kinid, We intend Fhings no tarther than as they are con-
Formable to our Ideas; (0 that in chele, We carinot mils ot a certain un
doubred realiti.
5, 6. Tdoube not but it will be casils granted, chat the snomledee re
may have of mathematical Truths, is not ouly certain, but reat unouledee;
not idle Chimeras oF Mens Brains: And yet is we ill consider, We MaII
tind, that it is orls oE our omn Ideas. Thie Mathematician considers
the Truth and Properties belongins ro a Rectansle, or Cirele, only asthey
are in Idea in his own Minc; For ris possible he never Pound cirher et
ehem existins mathematically, i.c. precisely truo, in his Lite: Bur yet the
lnorledsse he has oPans Pruchs or Properties belorigins to a Circle, or
arv octer machematical Figure, aro nevertheless true and certain, even
of real Thinos exictins: Decaule real Things are no farther concerned,
rior intended eo be meant by anr such Provositions, than as Things really
axree to those Archerypes in his Mind. Is it erue of the Idea et a Tri.
anole, thae ies chreo Aneles are equal eo erro rixHE ones: IE is trie allo ot
a Friansle, Where ever it reallr exists. Wtiat ever ocher Figure exicts.
thac is noc exactly anliverable to that ldea of a Priansle in his Mind,
is not at all concerned in that Proposition. And cheretore he is certain
ail his Rnorledee concernins suetr Ideas, is real Rnomledee: becaule
intendins Thinss no farther than thiey agrec ich chole nis Ldeas, he
is sure what lic lnons concernins chole Fisures, erhien ther have barelr
an Ideal existence in his Mind, Will hold true ot them alio, irtien they
havea real exiltence in Matier; his conlideration beire barely of thole
Fieures, wtiiea atc The latme Where cv et OC honever chos exill.