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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 344, page id 778263916:0360
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Wrhollr ne, and unborrored, TMall tave siven Occasion tO OEHerS, EO
cast about for new Discoveries, and to seckc in their omn ThourHES, for
thole rishe Telps of art, Whch Will scarce be founid, I fcar, By those
erho servilely contine thomselres to the Rules and Dictates ot ochers; for
Deaten Fracts lead thele Tort oF Cartel, (as an observino Roman calls
them,) Wrhole Thoushes reach onls ro imitation, Non quo eundum est,
sed quo itur. But Pean be bold to tar, that this AsC is adorned wich sone
MCn OF Fhat Strenseh oF Fudsment, and Largeness ot Comprehension
that il ches rould emplos their Thouslus on eliis Subject, could open
ner and undiseovered Wazs, to che Adrancement ol Hnowledse.
6. 8. Flaving here had Occasion to speale oF SyIlosilm in general, and
the OsC oF it, in Realonins, and the Improvemene ot our Rnom ledoe, tis
sit, Defore Plcare this subject, to tale notice ot one manitest Mistake in
theRules oSyllosim; viz. Fhacno Syllosistical Rcalonins cani be rigtt
and conclusire, but what has, at least, one seneral Propolition in it. A5 il
ve could not reason, and have Rnomledse about Particulars; Whereas, in
truth, the Matter righel considered, the immediate Object of aIl our Rea
Fonins and Rnomledse, is nothins but Particulars. Fverr Man S Reasonins
and Knomledse, is only about the ideas existins in his omn Mind, Wrhict
are truly, every one of them, particular Existences; and our Rnomledoe
and Reasonins about other Fhines, is ouly as thes correspond with thole
our particular Ideas. So that the Perception ol the Acreement, or Dis-
agreement of our particular ideas, is the wrhole and urmost ot all our
Knomledse: Oniversalier is but accidental to it, and consilts ouly inthis.
That the particular Ideas, about Which it is, are such, as more Fhan ORC
particular Thins can correspond ith, and be represented by. But chc
Perception oE the Agreement, or Dilasreement ol ans tro Ideas, and
consequentr, our Rnomledse, is equally clear and certain, Whether cither.
Or Both, or neither of thole Ldeas De capable ol reprelentins more reat
BeingS Than OMC, Or nO.
5. 9. Reason, Thouoh it penetrates intothe Depths ol the Sea and FarFH.
elevates our Thoughes as hish a5 theStars, and leads us throush the
vast Spaces, and larse Rooms of this misluy Fabriele, vet it comes tar
Prort ol the real Fxtent of even corporeal Beins; and there are mani
Instances Wherein it fails us: AS,
First, IE perteetls Fails us, where our Ideas fait. Ie neither does, nor can
exterid it selE Farther rhan thez do: and theretore, where ever ve have no
Fdeas, our Reasonine SopS, and e are at an End ot our Reckonine:
And il at any rime e reason about Nords, Wrhich do not stand for any
Ideas, tis onty aboyt thole Sounds, and nothing else.
6. F0. Seconcly Our Reason is oster puzled, and at a lols, because of the
scurity, Confusion, or Imperfection of the Ideas it is employed abour; and
chere e aro involved in Disiculties and Contradictions. ThuS, nOt ha-
vins ans pertect Idea oFthe least Extention of Matter, nor oF Intinity,
re are at a loss abouttheDivilibilier of Matter; but havins pertect, clear
and distinct deas oF Dumber, our Realon meets ith none ot chole inex-
cricable Disficulties in Numbers, nor tinds it sels involved in ans Contra-
dictions about chem. Thus, Ve havins but impertect Ideas, ot the Opera-
tions of our Minds uxon our Bodies or Thousts; and of theBeginnins oF
cither Notion or Thouslt in us; and much impertecter vet, ot the Ope-
ration ot GiOD, run into great Difficulties about trec, created ASCHIS,
Which Rcason cannor ell extricate it sClF out of.
S. FF. Thiraly, Our Realon is olten at a Ctand, because it perceives not those
Ideas, which could serve to sheu the cerrain or probable rreement, or Dis-
agreement
B.
dase