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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 328, page id 778263916:0344
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Improvement of our lnomledoe.. BC
by Contemplation of cur Pdeos, e cannot discorer, there Experience
Observation, and natural Hlistory, must sive us by our senses, and by
retail, an insislit into corporeal substances. The Hnomledse ot Bodies
we must get by our Senles, arily employed in talins notice ot cheie
Oualities, and Operations on one another; and What WWe hOpe FO KnOV
ot separated Spiries in ehis Norid, We mult, P thinl, expect onty From
Revelation. IIe that Mall consider, hou little generat Maxims, precarious
Principles, and ypotheses laid doon at Pleasure, have promoted true
Rnouledee, or hrelped to latistre the Enquiries ot rational _en atter reat
improvements. Ior licclo, ICay, the sertins out at the end, has for ma-
ty Ages together advanceduens Proorels tonards the Rnonledoe oftii
tural Philosopr, Will chinte, ve have Reason to chankthose Meri, iho in
this latter AoChave takten anochere ourse, andhave trod out tous, thouohinoe
an easier as to learned gnorance, ret a lurer Way to protitable Hnomledsc.
5. F3. Wot that e may not, 1o explain any Phaenomena ot Nature,
malce ulc ot any probable sypothesis Whatloerer: Typotheses, il ther are
avell made, are ae least rreat helps to the Memory, and osten direct us
ro new Dilesveries. Buc my Dlcanino is, that e Mould not take up anr
one t0o hastilr, (Which the Nind, thar vould elirays penetrate into the
Causes of Thines, and have Principles to rest on, is very apt to do,) till
e have very well examined Particulars, and made several experiments,
in chaechins re vould explain by our Hopochesis, and see Wrhether it wili
aeree to themall; Wtrether our Principles will carry us quire througt,
and not be as inconsictent withi one Phaenomenon ol Nature, as ther scem
eo accommodate, and explain another. And at leas, that we talte care,
that the Name of Principles deceireus not, norimpole on us, by matins
usreceire that for an unqueltionable Truth, Which is really, at best, but
a very doubesul conjecture, such as are most (Phad almost faid aII) OF tHC
FIypocheles in natural Philosoptr.
G. r4. Butwhether narural Philosophy be capable of Certainty, or no,
the mays eo entrree bur Anouledse, astar as re are capable, seem to me, in
Bort, to be thele WO:
First. THC First 15 20 cet, and setile in our Minds, aS far a5 We ean, clear,
distinet, and constant Ideas osthole Things we rould contider and RnOW. FOr
it beins crident, char our Rnomledse cannot exccedour Ideas, Where they
are cirtier imperlect, or oblcure, We cannor expect ro have certain, and
perlect Knomledoe.
Seconaly, The ocher is the Art oF finding out thole intermediate Ideas,
Which mas crer us the Aorcement, or Repugnanes ot other Ldeas, rhicta
cannot be immediatel compared.
8. 25. That these ero (and not the relrins on Maxims, and dramine
Consequences trom (ome general Propositions) are the righe Method otim
provins our Rnomledse in otber Ideas of Modes, the Consideration
OfMathematical Rnomledse illealils inform us. Wrhere trst e Mal
Andi that he thathasnor a pertect, and clear Ldea OF chose AngleS, Ox Fi
Sures of rhich he desires to knor ans chine, is urterty cherebr uncapa
ble oFany snomledseabourchem. Suppole but a Man, nocto have a
perfect exact Idea ot a risht Anele, a Scalenum, Or Fraperium; and there
is nochinq more clear, that he ill in vain seck any Demonstration about
Ehem. And sarther it is cvident, chat it eras not the insuence ot thole
Maxiis, Wrhich are talcen for Principles in Mathematicls, thac hath led
the Rlasters ot that Scienee into thole vondertul Discoveries ther have
mado. Tet a Man ofg0od Pares briow all the Plaxims generally made ule
OE in Machemariels nerer (o persectly, and contemplare their Fxrent and
COnIEGUEHCES