Leibniz Legible

Machine transcription of the Leibniz Nachlass

Search the Nachlass

An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 231

Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German. Mean line confidence on this page: 0.90.

Original at the GWLB · Page image · Annotations (IIIF) · Download text

The machine reads it as

  1. Chap. IX.
  2. imperfection of No
  3. LL 1L L. 1X.
  4. 6. 1.
  5. Of ehe imperfection of Words.
  6. Rom Wrhac has been Paid in the Poresoins Chapters, il is ealie
  7. to perceire, wtrat impersection there is in Lariguase, and ho
  8. theverr nature of Nords, malces it almost unavoidable, for manz ofthem
  9. to De doubrsul and uncertain in their significations. Fo examine the
  10. perfection, ox impertection oF Words, it is necessari, First, to consider
  11. their ule and end: For as ther ore more or less fcred toactain that, (0 are
  12. they more or lels pertect. Wehare, inthe former part ol chis Discourle,
  13. often, upon occasion, mentioned a double use of Words:
  14. First, One For the recordins ot our omn ThougHIS.
  15. Secondly, The ocher For the communicatins of oux Thouetts io
  16. Others.
  17. 6. 2. ASEOChetr OPthese, for ihe recordine our onn Thouxhes, For che
  18. help ofour omn Memories, Whereby, as it vere, We talk to our selves
  19. any Words will serre the turn. For since Soundsare voluntarr and indit
  20. ferent sions otans Ideas, a Man may use what Words he pleale, t0 signi-
  21. sic his omn Ideas to himselF: and there will be no imperfection in them,
  22. it he constaney ule the tame sien For the same Idea: FOr TMeN HE CONLSE
  23. Fail oEhavins his meanins understood, wherein contits cheristu usc and
  24. persection ot Languase.
  25. 8. 3. Secondly, As E0 communication by Words, chat 100 vas a double use:
  26. I. Civil.
  27. II. Philosophicat.
  28. Firs By cheir civil Ese, Tmeansuch a communication oE Thouxts and
  29. Ideas bY Words, as mas serre for the upholdins common Conversation
  30. and Commerce, about the ordinary Afairs and Conveniencies oF civii
  31. Tise in the Societies ofNTen, onc amons (t anOther.
  32. Secondly, BY the philosophicat se oF Words, L mean such an use oF
  33. ehem, as miar serre to correr tho precise Notions of Thines, and tO Cx-
  34. prels, in general Propositions, certain and undoubred Fructs, Which chc
  35. Mind may rest uxon, and be latissled with, in ies seareh after rruC RnO
  36. ledge. Thesetmo Dses are very distinct; and a great deal lels exactness
  37. viil serve in the onc, than in the othier, as re Mail sec in Whrac tollors.
  38. 5. 4. The chieF Fnd oF Lansuase in Communication, Deins to be un-
  39. derstood, Words serre not well for that end, neither in civil, nor philo-
  40. Tophical Discourse, When any Word does not excite in the FCarer, the
  41. Tamme Ldea ertrich it stands for in the Mind ol the Speakcer. No since
  42. Sounds have no natural connexion rith our Ideas, Dut have all their
  43. signitication from the arbitrari impolition otMen, tne doubrfulness and
  44. uncertaire of eheir signification, Wtrich is the imperfection ve here are
  45. speaktino ol, has its cause more in the Ideas chey stand For, than in ariy
  46. incapacits there is in one Sound, more than in another, ro lienitie any
  47. Idea: For in that regard, eher are all equally perfect.
  48. That chen wrhick malies doubesulness and uncertainty in che sonitica
  49. cion oE some Words more chuni orters, is the disference ot Ldeas Mhes
  50. cand For.

Cite

An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 231. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0247?run=74