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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 332, page id 778263916:0348
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Probabilitus
8. T. P
C HI A P. XV.
Of Probabilicy.
SDemonstration is che Memins the AOreement, or Dilagree.
ment ot wo ldeas, by che intervention oC OnC OE MOTE
erooss, irtichhare a constant, immurable, and visible connexion one
with another: (0 Probabilier is nochins but che appearance oF sueh an
Agreement, Or Dilagreement, by ehie intervention of Proots, ihole con
nexion is not constant and immutable, or at lcast is nor perccired to be
10, but is, or appears for themost par to be so, and is enouxhto induce
the Mind to judse the Proposrion to be true, or Palse, rather chari che
contrarr. For example: In the demonstration of it, a Man perccivesthe
certain immurable connexion there is ol Equaliey, between che three
Angles ot a Triangle, aud chole intermediare ones, which are made use of
1o me their Pqualiey eo tiro rishr ones; and (o by an intuirive Rno-
ledoe ofthe Aereement, or Dilagreement of theintermediate Ideas in eact
Sep otthe proorels, thie whole scries is continued with an evidencc,
ertrich cleariy Meus the Aoreement, or Dilagreement, of those thrce
Angles, in equalier to tro riche ones: And thus he has certain Rno-
ledse thac it is (0. Bur another Man Wrho never took the pains to
observe the Demonstration, hearins a Mathematieian, a Man of credit,
attirm the chrec Angles oF a Triangle, to be equal to trro rixtre ones,
alPentsto it; i. e. receires it for truc: In irhich case, the foundarion ot
his Alsent, is ehe Probabiliry oF the thins, the Proot beine such as, FOr
the most pare, carries Truch with it: The Man on ertiose Pestimony he
receires it, not beins wone ro atturm any chins contrary to, or belices his
tinomledse, especially in marters of this kind. S0 that that wrhich cau-
ses his Asentto this Propolition, that the three Angles oF a Friangle are
equalto tro ristt ones, chat whuchmalies humtale chele ideas 10 aeree,
michouc lnorins them to do lo, is the ronced Veracur ol chespealiee
in other cases, or his suppoled Veracier in this.
9. 2. Our Hnomledse, as has been theru, beine verr narror, and ve
nothares enouxh to tind certain Truth in everr chins, ere have occasion
1o consider, most ofthe Propolitions we think, realon, discourse, nay
aet upon, are lucli, as ne cannor have undoubred Rnomledse ot theie
Fruth: vet some ol ehem border (o near uxon Cerrainty, thatwe matie
no doubr at allabout chem; but assent tothem as Armty, and act accOr-
dins to that Alent as visorouss, as il ihes vere infallibly demonltra-
ced, and thatour Knomledse of them mas pertect and certain. But ehiere
beins degrees herein, trom the verr neistibourhood of Certaintr and Evi-
dence, quire down to Improbabilies and Onlitelinels, even to the Con-
tines ot Impossibiliey; arid allo degrees ot anen trom certain RnoN-
ledge, and irhat is next it, tuil Alturance and Contidence, quite donnto
Conjecture, Doube, Diltrust, and Disbeliet. IMall come no, as having
(a5 I Thintc) Found out the bounds of humane Knomledse and Cerraintr,
in thie next place to consider the severat decrees and erounds ot Probabi-
litr, ana ent or Faith.
d. 3. Probabiliey then is litcelinels to De Huc, ile very notation ot the
Wroca conitrino laen a Proponon, sor milleu chere be Arouments or
Proots, to matie it pals or De received for true. The enterrainment
the Mind sives this lort ot Propolitions, is called Belief, apent, or Opi-
nion, Which is the admittins or receirine any Propolition tor true, uxon
Arguments or Proossthat are tound io perluade us io receire IE aS ErUE,
ich.