An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 199
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The machine reads it as
- Names of simple Ideas.
- Idea ofthe cause oE Lisht, il we had ix never (0 exact, mould no more
- sire us the Idea oE Lishe it selF, as it is such a particular perception
- inus, than, the Laea of the Figure and Motion of a Marp picce of Stecl,
- vould gire us the Ldea oEthac Pain, wtrich it is able to cause in US. POr
- the cause of any Senlation, and the Senlation it selP, in all the simple Ideas
- otone Sense, are erro Ideas; and ero Ldeas lo disterent, and distant one
- trom another, that no trro can be more 10. And cheretore Mould Des
- Carress Globules Strike never (0 lons on the retina ol a Man, WHO WaS
- blind by a Gucra Serena, he Wouldcherebs never have ans idea o Lislt
- or any thins approachins to it; thoust he underttood what little Gilo-
- bules ere, and Wrhat etrikine on another Body Was, never (0 Well.
- 6. TF. Simple Ideas, as has been Merrec, are only to be got By thole im.
- pressions Objects themselres makre on our Minds, by the proper Inlets ap-
- Pointed eo cach Port. IEthey are not receired chis waz, all ehe Words in
- the Worid, made use of to explain, or define any of their Names, will never
- De able to produce in us the Idea iestands for. For Nords beine Sounds,
- ean produce in us no other simple Ideas, than olthose very Sounds; nor
- excito any in us, but by that voluntary connexion, Wrhich is hnonnto
- De betreen them, and those simple Laeas, Whrich common Vle has mace
- them Signsof. Fe that thinles othervise, let him ery it any Words can
- sire him the taste ofa Pine- Apple, and makce him have the true Idea oF
- theRelithof that celebraced delicious Fruit. 50 Car as ho is told it has a
- relemblance rith any Tactes, Whereot he has the ideas alreads in his
- Memory, imprinted there by sensible Objects not Stransers to his Pa-
- late; (0 tar may he approachi thac resemblance in his Mind. Buc this is
- noc sivins us Fhac Ldea by a Detinition, bur excitins in us other simple
- Ideas, by their Hnonn Names; Which will be still very disferent From
- the true Fastes of that Fruit ic selF. In Light and Colours, and all other
- Simple Ideas, it is the same thing: for the signification of Sounds, is not
- natural, buc only impoled and arbitrary. And no detinition ol Licht, Or
- Redness, iS more Acted, or able to produce cither or those ideas in uS
- than the (ound Lighe, or Red, by it SolF. For to hope to produce an Idea
- OFLieht, or Colour, by a Sound, horrevertormed, isto expeet that sounds
- Mould De vilible, or Colours audible; and to makre the Parsdo the orice
- oFaII other Senses. Wrhich is all onc a5 to lay, thac we mislutTalte,
- Snell, and See, by the Fars: a Port oF Philolophy worchr only ot Sanco
- Panca, Who hadthe Faculey to sec Dulcinea by PPeartar. And theretore
- he thac has not belore received into his Minc, by che proper Inlet, che
- Simple Idea Wrhrich ans Word Aands for, ean never come to linov the
- Cignification of that Word, br ans other Words, or Sounds, Wrhatloerer
- put tosether, accordins ro any Rules of Detinition. The ouly naz is.
- by applrins tohis senses the prover Object; and lo producine thar Idea
- in him, For which he has learn d che name alread A Audious Blind
- Nan, Wrho had mislutils beat his Flead about visible Obiects, and made
- use of the explication ot his Books and Friends, to understand those names
- OF LighE, and Colours, Which otten came in his way; brage d onc day
- Thar he no understood what Scarlet signitied. Upon rhich his Priend
- dlemandine, whar Scarlet ras: the blind Man answered, It was likethe
- Sound oF a TruIPet. Sust such an Onderstandins ot the name ot any
- Otter simple Idea Willhehave, Whohopes to ger it omly trom a Detini
- tion, or other Words made ule ofto explain it.
- 6. F2. The case is quire ocherrise in complex Ideas; Which consistine
- OFsereral simple ones, it is inthe porrer of vords, standins for the seve-
- ral Ldeas, chac malce thar Composition, to imprint complex Ideas in the
- Mina,
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 199. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0215?run=74