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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 342, page id 778263916:0358
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Reaioi
and tic Order, to makce their Connexion and Force be plainly and casily
perceired; the chird is the perceiring their connexion; and the fourth,
the matins a rishe conclusion. Thele severai degrees maz lo observed
in any rmathematical Demonstration: it being one thine to perceive the
connexion of each part, as the Demonstrarion is made by anoctier; another
to perceire the dependence ofthe conclusion on aIl the parts; a third eo
makce out a Demonstration cleariy and neatly ones selt, and lomethins
difterent trom all chese, to hare tirst Found out those intermediate Ideas
Or Proots by irhich it is made.
8. 4. Fhere is one thing more, wrtrich P. Mall desire to be considered
concernins ReaIon; and chatis, Wherter Syllocism, as is generalls thought,
Betheproper instrument ot it, and che uletussest as ot exercilins chis
Faculer. The Causesthave to doubt, are thele:
First, Because Syllosilm serres our Reason, but in onc onty olthefore-
mentioned parts oFic; and chat is, to Bhem the connexion oFthe Proots
in ans onc instance, and no more: but in this, it is olno great ule, since
themindcan perceire such connexion rhere ic really is, 25 casily, Day,
verhaps, becter vithout it.
TEve will obserre the Actingsof our omnMsinds, re all sind, that We
reason best and clearest, wrhen we only observe the connexion of the
Prools, Without reducins it to any Rule oF SyIlosism: and theretore re
mas take nocice, thar chere are mans Men char reason exceedins clear
and ristuly, irho bnow not how eo malie a Ssllosilm. IIc chat will.
look into many parts oF Asa and america, rill tind Men reason there,
perhaps, as acurels as himsels, Wrho vet never heard ofa Syllosiim, nor
can reduce ans one Aroument cothole Forms. Indced Poretimes it may
serve to discover a Fallacy hid in arhetorical Flourish, or cunning ly vrrapp d
up in a snooth Period; and stripping an Ablurdity of the Cover ol
Wic, and sood Languase, Me ic in its naled Deformity: But the Mind
is not caushr to reason by these Rules, it has a natire Faculty to perceire
the Coherence, or Incoherence of its Ideas, and ean ranse them rislt,
rithout anr such perplexins Repetitions. Tell a Counery Cientlewoman,
that the Wind is South. Welt, and the Weather lourins, and like to rain,
and sre ill easily understand, tis not sase for her to go abroad thin clad,
in such a dar, atter a Fever: Bhe clearly sces the probable connexion oF alt
chese, 2iz. South West. Wind, and Clouds, Rain, ectins, calcins Cold,
Relapse, and Danser oF Death, withoue yinsthem together in thole ar
titicial and cumberlome Ferrers ol sereral Ssllosisins, that clos and hinder
che Mind, Which proceeds trom one part to another quicler and clearer
without them; and the Probabilitr irhich Me calily perceires in Things
thus in their natire State, rould be quite lost, il this Arsument. Were
manased searnealr, and proposed in Mode and tisure. For it very olten
consouvds the connexion: an, P thint, every one will perceive in mathe.
matical Demonstrarions, that thekno ledse sain dtherebr, comes Mhor-
test and elcarest without Syllosilm.
Secondly, Because thoush Syllosim serres to Mem the Force or Fallacy
oF an Argument, made use ot in che ulual ras ot discoursins, by lupply-
ins the absent Propolition, and so sertins it betore the vier in a clear
Ligl; vet it no lels engages the Mind in the perplexier ot obleure, equi
vocal, and Fallacious Terms, Wrhererith this artiticial was of Reasonins
alirars alouncs: it beins adarted more to the atrainins ol Victory
in Dispure, chan che discovers or contirmation ot Truch in fair
Enquirses.