# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0332
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0332?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 316, page id 778263916:0332
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=332
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000332.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.

honen of the lxistence of a OD. BOKIV
S. F5. Secona, TF aII Maeter do not think, PnexE asH, Whether it BC
onty one atom that does so: This has as mans Ablurdities as the other;
for chenthis Atom of Matter, mustbe alonc eternal, or not. IFthis alone
De eternal, then this alone, by its porrertul Thouoht, or WiiI, made aII
the Fest OFMatter. And Co rre have the crearion Of Matter bY a POIVer-
Ful Thousht, Wrhich is that the Materialilts stick at. For it thier suppose
one single chinkins Atom, to hare produced all the rest oF Matter, ihcy
Cannot aseribe that Pre eminener to it uxon any other acconne, thian that
oFits Thinking, the only suppoled ditterence. Bur allor it to be by
lome other ar, Wrhich is abore our conception, it must De Hil Crea-
tion; and these Men must sive up their creat  axim, Fx nihilo nil sit.
IEic be Caid, that all the rest of Matter is equalls eternal, as chat chiinkirs
Atom, it will be to (ay any thing at pleature, thoush never (0 absurd:
For to suppose allMatter eternal, and et one lmall particle in Unomledoc
and Porer insinitelz above all the rest, is irhout any theleast appearance
oF Reason to frame any FIypothelis: Fvery partiele oF Matter, aS Matter,
iscapable oFall the same Fisures andMorions ol ans ocher; and Lchallense
any one inhis Thoughes, to add any Fhins else to one abore another.
9. 16. Thiraly, IF thenneither one peculiar Atom alone, can bc this
eternal chintinq Being; nor aII MaLTeN, 25 Matter: 1. C. every particle oF
Matter can be ic, it only remains, that it is some certain System of Matier
duly puttosether, that is this thinting eternal Beins. Thisis chac Wrhich, P
imagino, is that Notion rhich Nen are aprest to have Os COD, W1O
vould have him a material Being, as most readils susgested tothem, By
the ordinary conceit cher hare ol themselres, and oeher Men, Which they
talo to be material chinking BeinzS. Bur this Tmagination, horrerer riere
natural, is no lels absurd chantheocter: Por eo suppole the eternal thinkririe
Beins, to De nothing else but a compolition ol Particles of Matter, each
Whereofis incogitarire, is en ascribe all no Wisdom and Rnomledee os
that eternal Beins, only to the juxta Polition of parrs; than Wtrieh, nO-
thing can bemore absurd. For unthinking Parricles of Matcer, hotverer
Dut together, ean have nochins thereby ad ded tothem, bur a ner relation ot
Polition, Which tisimpossible thould sive rhoushe andhnorlodoe torhem.
6. T7. But tarther, this corporeat System cicher has 2Il its parts at rest,
Or it is a certain motion of the pares wherein its Thinkina consists. IF it
be pertecly at rest, it is bur one lump, and (o can have no privileses abore
Onc AtOM.
IF it bethe motion of ies parts, on which irs Thinkins depends, aII
the Thouxhrs there must be unaroidablr accidental, and limitted; snee aII
the Particles that by Motion cause Thoustr, beine cach ot them in it
(ClFWithont anv TPhouoht; Cannot reculate its oon Motions, mucti less
be regulated by the Thoughe of the ivhole; since thar Thought is nOE
the cause of Motion, (For then it must be antecedent to it, and sorrithout
it,) bist the consequeneo ot it Wwherehy Preedom, P’over, Choice, and
allrational and hrise chintins or actine, Will be quite taten avay: S0 that
such a chintino Being, Will be no becter nor iser, than pure blind MaF
ter; Sinee tO resolvo all into tho accidental unguided morions ot Blind
Matter. Or into ThoughE dependine on unguided motions of blind Mar.
ter is the sarrie thins; noc tomention the narromness ot such ThougHIS
anl Rnow ledse phat must depend on the morion of such parts. But
elore needs no enumerotion ot any more Absardicies and Imporivili.
ties in Ehis FIYPOtHEMS, (however tull OEthem it Bes) than chac betore.
mentioned; Linco let ehis chintcino System Be all, Or a Part ot the Mat-
cer ot ihe Vniverse, ir is impolsible chat ans one Parcicle, Mouldeitter
tinon