An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 240
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: 0.89.
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The machine reads it as
- Impersmin Nor
- dilisent in oblerrus cu terter, aiset sels Masieriat, volutire, and impe
- rous, in impolis ou on leule ala llesprctations o the LatTOT.
- C tt1LL. 2
- Of che Abuse of Words.
- G. F. DD Fsides the impertection chat is naturally in Language, and chie
- obscurits and contusion that is so hard to be aroided in che
- Ose OFWords, there are several wilful saults and Neclects, Whieh Men
- are suiler ot, in the war ot Communication, Wrhereby cher render these
- signs less clear and distinet in cheir signification, chan naturally they necd
- 10b0.
- 5. 2. First, In Ehis Kinc, che Arst and most palpable abuse is, tlie v.
- Sins OF Words, Without clear and distinet Ideas; or, Whuich is worle, (ions
- richour any thing signified. OF Fhele FHErC ATO LWO TONES:
- P. One maz obserre, in all Languages, certain Words, that if ther DC
- exammined, will be found, in cheir trst Original, and their appropriated
- DsC, noc to sand for any clear and distinet Pdeas. Thele, for the most
- part, the several Sects oE Philosophy and Religion have introduced. FOr
- their Authors, or Promoters, cither attectins lomethins lnsular, and oue
- Ot the nar ot commmon apprehentions, or to suppore lone ltranse Oxi-
- nions, or cover lome Wealnels of cheir Hypothelis, seldom fail to coin
- nem Words, and such as, when ther come to be examined, may
- justiy be called insienisicant Terms. For havine cither had no determi-
- table Collection of Ideas annexed eo them, hen they vere trst invented;
- Or at least luch a5, is ell examined, rill be found inconlictent, tis no von-
- der is alterards, in the vulsar ule ofthe lame party, ther remain empey
- Sounds, with litele or no lignitication, amongst thole irho think it e-
- nough to have them osten in their mouths, as the distinguistino Chara-
- eters oF their Church, or School, ithout much croublins their headsto
- examine, Wrhat arc the precile Ideas ther Hand For. Imall not necd here
- Foncap up instances, everr ones readins and conversation will sufficient-
- Iy Furni him: Or iF he anes tobe better Aored, FHC SreaF MInE-MaIterS
- ot these kind ot Terms, I mean the Schoolmen andMteraphy licians, (under
- Wtrich, I chint, ehe disputins natural and moral Philosophers ot thele lat-
- FeF AgeS, may De comprehended,) hare whercrichal abundanty t0 con-
- tent him.
- 6. 3. II. Othersthere Be, irho extend this abuse yet Farther, Wrho tate
- fo litele care to lar br Words, Which in their primarr notation have
- scarce any clear and distinet ideas they are annexed to, that by an un-
- Pardonable negligence, they tamiliariy use Words, Which the Proprietr ot
- Lanouase has affixed to vers important Ideas, they ule chem, IlaY,
- without any distinct meanine at aII. WVisdom, Glory, Grace, ecc. are Words
- Freguent enouxh in every Mtans mouth; but il a oreat mans ol those
- vlio use them, Mould be asticd, What ches mean by them: thes wouldbe
- aE a Rtand, and not bnor irtat to ansiver: A plain proot, thac though chiey
- hare learned those Sounds, and have them ready at their Pongues ends,
- yet there are no clear and distinct Ideas laid ux in their Minds, wrhick
- are 0 bC expressed r0 ochers by rhicm:
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 240. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0256?run=74