An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 252
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: 0.91.
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The machine reads it as
- Remedies of the Imperfection
- distinct Ideas oF; hich is nOF to be expected by any one, WrHo hatli
- not vanits enousti to imagine he can prevail rith Nlen, to be verrhnor
- ins, or very silent. And he inust be licele stild in the Norid, irto
- chinlsthat a voluble Tongue, Pall accompanx only a g00d Onderstan-
- dins; or that Mens talkins much or licele, Mall hold proportion only 10
- their Rnomlecee.
- S. 3. Butthoush the Market and Fxcharige must be lese eo their ovrri
- ars of Talkins, and Cossippines, noc robbd of cheir ancient Privilese;
- though the Schools, and nen of Aroument would, perhaps, talie it amiss.
- eo have anz thins oftered to abare the lenettu, or lessen etie number of
- cheir Disputes; Vet, methinles chose who precend seriousty to scarch after.
- or maintain Truth, Mould chink themselves obliged to study hor chey
- mixhe deliver chemselves ithout Obscuritr, Doubrtuliess, or Equivo-
- cation, to Wrhich Mens Words are naturally liable, it care De not
- taten.
- 6. 4. For he That MalI vell consider the Prrours and Obscurity, the
- Mictalres and Contulion, that is spread in the Worid by an illuse of Words,
- Will find lome reason to doubt, irhecher Languase, 25 it has been em
- Ployd has contributed more to the improvement or hindrance oFRnOW.
- ledse amonest Pankind. INo manr are there, thac wnhen ther vould
- chinkc on Things, fix their Thoughes onsy on Words, especially when
- cher Wrould apply their Ninds to moral Matters: And Wrho then Can Woir.
- der, if the resule of such Contemplations and Reasoninss, about litele
- more than Sounds, Whilst the Ldeas ther annexed to them, are verr
- contuled, or vers unsteadr; or pertraps none at all; erho can monder,
- TCaY, that such Phouxhus and Reasonings, end in nochine but Obscurity
- and Mistake, without any clear fudement or Rnomledoe:
- 6. 5. This Inconvenience, in an ill use oF Words, Men sufter in cheir
- orn prirate Meditations: but much more manifest are the Disorderswhich
- follon trom it, in Convertation, Dilcourse, and Arguines With OFHerS. FOr
- Lanouase beins the sreat Conduit, Whereby Men convey their Dilcore-
- ries, Realonines, and Rnowledse, trom one to anocher, he that males
- an ill ule of it, though he does not corrupt the Fountains of Rnomledoe,
- erhich are in Thinos themlelres; yet he does, as much as in him lics,
- break or Rop the Pipes, Whereby it is distributed to the publick ule and
- adrantase ot Mankind. ITe that ules Words, wichout any clear and Aca-
- dy meanins. Whac does he but lead himselt and octers into Frrours:
- And he that designedy doesir, ousht to be looked on as an Fremy to
- Fruth and Rnomledoc. Ad ret, irhocan monder, thac all the Sciences
- and Parts of Rnomledse, have been so over-charged rich obscure and
- equivocal Terms, and insignitieant and doubrtul Expresions, capable to
- matce the most actentire or quicle sighted, verr lirele, Or not at alI che
- more linomins or Orthodox; lince Subtiley, in thole wrho makre protessi-
- On to reack or desend Pruth hath passed (o much FOr a V CrtUC: A Vertire,
- indeed, erhrich consisting, for the most part, in nothine but the Fallacious
- and illusorr ule ot obscure or deceirful Terms, is only AE to make Menmore
- conceited in their Ignorance, and obstinate in thCix FrrOUTS.
- 6. 6. Tet us loolc into the BoOls ol Controversies ot any kind,
- ehiere ve Mall sec, that the etfect oF oblcure, unsteady, or equirocat
- Terims, is nothine but noise and trranglins about sounes, ithout con
- vincinq or beccerino a Nlan S Onderstanding. For it the Idea Be nOF a
- greedon, betrrixt the Speaker and Ilcarer, For Which the Words Ctand,
- etic Argument is not about Things, but Names. As olten as suctra Word,
- whole sisniticarion is not alcertained betwixethem, comes in ule, their
- Onder-
- BOC
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 252. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0268?run=74