# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0307 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0307?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 291, page id 778263916:0307 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=307 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000307.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 54 lines, status machine # Lines: 54 recognised, mean confidence 0.91 # 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. Truth in general. more than the contormiti oF Nords, io the Chimaeras oF MenS Brains. WVhoknos nor what odd Notions matis Mens Heads are tulld ich. and whac stranse Ldeas allMen s Brains are capable oP: But il we rest here, We knor the Truch ol nochins by this hule, buc ot the vilionari Worid in our oun maginations; nor have ocher Truih, but irtrat as much concerns FTarpies anid Centaurs, as Nen andITorles. For thole and the lite, may be Ldeas in our Feads, arid hare their agreement and disagreement there, a5 well as the Ideas oF real Beings, ard (0 have a5 erue Propositions made about them. And twill be altogether as true à Propolition, 10 lay all Centaurs are Animals, as thar all Men are Animals? and the certainty oF one, as great as the other. For in BotH the PrOPOLI- tions, the Nords are put torether accordine to the aprecinerie ol the ideas in our Minds: And che aereement of the Idea oF Animal, victi ThaF OF CentaUE, is as clear and visible to the Mind, as the agreemene ot ehe Idea oF Animal, with thac oF Man; and (0 chese eiro Propolirions are equally true, equally certain. But oF what ule is all sucti Truct TOuS. 5. 8. Thouxu whae has Been said in che fore Coine Chapter, to sistin- suim real from imaginarr Rnomledse, mighe lussuce here, in arisiver to this Doubt, to distinsuis real Fruch trom chimerical, or (il vou pleale, barely nominal, thes dependins boch on thelame Foundation; vet il may not beamisshere again ro consider, that though our Words signitie no thins but our Ideas, re beins deligned by eliem to Cisnitie Thines, che Truth chey contain, irtien rue into Propolitions, ill be only Verbal; When chey stand Cor Ideas in themind, chat have not an agicement ricti the realier of Thines. And theretore Truch, as vell as Hnomledee, may ell come under the distinction of Verbal and Real; chat beiris only ver- bol Truch Wherein Terms are joined, accordins to the agreement or dil agreement of the Ideas they Band for, ithout resardins Wvhiether our Ideas are such as reals have, orare capable ot having an Fxstenco in Na- ture. But then it isthey contain real Truth, Wrhen thele sions are ioined as our Fdeas agrec, and Wrhen our Ldeas are such, as re lenor are capable oFhaving an Fxiltence in Nature; Whichi in Substances e cannot bnou buc by bnomins chac such have existed. 5. 9. Truth isthe markins donn in Wrords, the agreement or dilicree iment oI Ldeas asitis. S’alstoodis the markine donn in Nords, the acree ent or dilacreement of Ideas ocherrise than it is. And so tar as chesé Ideas, thus martred by Sounds, agreo to cheir Archerres, (0 tar only is the Truth real. Thebnomledse ofchis Truch, consilts in bnovino wrhat Ideas the Words Cand for, and the perception ot the agreement or dil- nereement oFchole Ideas, accordins as it is marked by these Words. 5. 20. Burbecause Words are loolced on as the great Conduits of Frutt and Rnomledge, and that in converins and reccirins of Truth, andcom monly in realonins about it, e matce ule of NVords and Propoliions, V alI ore at larse enquire, Wherein the certainei ot real Truitus, contai ned in Propolitions, consilts, and where it is to behad; and endeavour to Meu in Wrhat sort ol unirersal Propolitions re are capable ot beins cer tain ofcheir real Pruth, or Falthood. Mall begin wich general Propoluions, as thiole wrtcti most eniploy oux Thouphes, and exercile our Contemplarioni. Ceneral Truchsare most Jooked alter by the Mind, as thole thac molt enlarse our unomledses and by cheir comprehensivenels, lacissyins us at once ot many partieulars, enlaroe our vier, and Morren our ray conomledse.