An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 19
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The machine reads it as
- Nomnate practical Principas
- Chastier: Or, irtere is that universal Consent, that actures us there are
- fuch inbred Rules: Murders in Duels, When Fathion has made them ho
- nourable, are commirted ichout remorle oF Conscience: Nay, in manr
- Places, Innocence inthis Casc is thegreatest Tgnominy. And il we will
- look abroad, to take a view oEMen, as they arc, We Mall find, that they
- have a remorie, in one Place, For doins or omitring chat. Wrhich otters, in
- another Place, think they merit bY.
- 6. 20. HC that Will caresully peruse the Ftistory oF Mankind, and I00K
- abroad intothe several Fribes orNlen, and With indilerener survey cheir
- Actions, Will beable eo satissiehimsel(, Thac there is scarce that Principle
- ot Moraliey to be named, or Rule of Verrue tobethoughe on (those onty
- excepted, that are absolutels necellarr to hold Sociery togettier, nhich
- commonly cocare neglected betwixt distinct Societies) hichis nOE, (ome.
- Wrtrere or other, sichied and condemned by the general Falhion ot whole
- Socieries ofMen, Governed by practical Opinions, and Rules of livins quite
- OppOsite tO OEHeTS.
- 5. TT. Elere, Perhaps, Twill be objected, chat it is nO ArgumenF, FhaFthC
- Rule is not tenoon, because ie is broken. P grant the Objection rood, Wrhere
- Blen, though ther transeress, yet dilorn noc the Lar; Where tear of
- Strame, Censure, or Punistimene, carries the Mark oF Lome aWre it has up.
- on them. Buc it is impossibleto conceive, that a wbole Nation ot Men
- Bould alI publickly reject andrenounce, Whrat every one of them, certainty
- and intallibls, lener to be a Lair: For lo thes must, Wrho have it natu-
- rally imprinced on cheir Minds.Tis possible, Men may Pometimes omn
- Rales of Morality, Whrich in cheir prirate Thoushes, thes do not beliere
- tobe true, ouly eo lcep chemselres in Repuration, and FAcem amonost
- those, whoare persraded os their Obligation. But ris not to be imagin d.
- That a whole society oF Nen, Mould, publicky and prosessear, disown,
- and cast of a Rulo, trhich ther could. noc, in their omn Mincs, Dut be in-
- falliblr certain, as a Lar; nor be ignorant, That aIl Men, they Mould
- have io do rich, hneu it to be such: And theretore must everr one ot
- them apprehend trom others, all the Contempe and Abhorrence due t0
- onc, uho protesses himself roid of trumanier; andonc, who contound.
- ins the known and natural measures of RigHE and WVTOBS, CanNOF buFBC
- lookd on, as the professed Finems of their Peace and Elappiness. Whato
- ever practical Principle is innate, cannor bur be knomn to everr onc, to
- be just and sood. It is theretore licele lels than a contradiction, 1o sup-
- pose, That Wholo Narions of Men Bould both in their Profestions, and
- Cractice unanimous) and univer(ally givo theLycto, Wrhat, by the most
- invincible Fvidence, everr one of them kner to be truo, right, and good.
- This is enough eo larissie us, That no practical Rule, Which is any irhere
- univerlallr, and with publicte Approbation, or Allorvance, transgrested,
- can be supposed innate. But Phare lomethins Farther to add, in Ansiver
- eo this Objection.
- 5. T2. Thebreakins ot a Rule, lay jou, is no Argument, chat it is un-
- RnOrn. P SranE IC: But the generally alloved breach of it any Wvhere,
- CaY, is a Proof that it is not innate. ForExample, L etus take any of these
- Rules; Wrtich beins che most obrious deductions oF FTumane ReasOn, and
- contormable eo the natural Tnelination oE the greatest part OF Men, SCWeA
- People hare had theimpudence to denr, or Inconsideration to doubt ol.
- IF any can be choughe eo be naturally imprinced, none, lchinke, can have
- a Fairer Pretence to beinnate, than this; Parenis preserve and cheriss jour
- Children. Vrhen cheretore you Cay, Thac tuis is an innate Rule, Nhatdo
- Vou mean? Ficher, that it is an innate Principle; Wtich uxon all Oc-
- CaliONS,
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 19. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0035?run=74