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An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 301

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

  1. Maxims.
  2. ring. Torce the alsent, and carry with them an equal, it not greater clear.
  3. ness, than chose mathematical AZiOmS.
  4. 6. 7. Fourthly, AStO real Existence, lince that has no connexion ritt
  5. anr otter ot our Ideas, but that ot our selves, and ot a tirct Beino, WVe. have
  6. inthat, concernins the real existence oFall orher Beivgs, nor (o much as de-
  7. monstratire, much less a selP evident Knomledse: And theretore concera
  8. ning chole there are no Maxims,
  9. 5. 8. In the next place let us consider, what inftuence ibose received
  10. Maxims have, upon the other parts of our Anouleare. The Rules ectabli-
  11. Medin the Schiools, that all Realoninss are expraecoenitis, (5 pracnces
  12. sis, Ccem to lay the toundation oF all other Hnomledoe, in thele Maxims,
  13. 2ud eo suxpose them. eo be praecoenita; Whereby, I thinke, is meane those
  14. trochinss: First, That these Axioms, are thole TrutHs thar are fiest
  15. knomnto the Mincs and, sccondlY, Thatupon them, che other parts ot
  16. our Rnomledse depend.
  17. 6. 9. First, THat theY are HOEthe Fruths sirst knoin tothe Mind, is
  18. evident to Experience. Who perccives not, that a Child certainly Knos,
  19. Fhat a Stranger is not its Nother; that its Sueking. Botelo is not the ROd,
  20. lons belore he lenors, hat ris impossible for thesame thine to be, and not 1o
  21. Be: Andhormans Fruthsare there abour Numbers, which it is obvious to
  22. obserre, that ehie Mind is pertectls acquainted with, andully convinced
  23. osbelore it ever thoughe on thele general Maxims, to which Mathema-
  24. ticians, in their arguines, do sometimes reter them: Whereol the rea-
  25. son is verr plain: For chat wrtieh matces the Mind assent to such Propo-
  26. Stions, Deins nothins else but the perception it has of the agrecment, or
  27. dilaercement oP its Ideas, accordins as ir sinds them astirmed ox denied
  28. one of another, in Words it understands; and everr Ldeabeins Hnorn 1o
  29. be whar it is, and cvery trro distinet Ideas nor to be lame, it must ne-
  30. celsarily follo, that such selFevident Truchs, nust besirst Hnown, whicli
  31. consistot Ideas that are Airst in the Mind: and the Ideas tirst in theMinc,
  32. eis evident, are chole of particuliar Thinss, trom irhence, by Por de
  33. Frees, che Inderctandins proceods to lome ferr general ones; Which be-
  34. ins takcen trom the ordinary and familiar Objects of Sense, are serled in
  35. the Nind, wich seneral Namestothem. Thus particular Ideas are Airst
  36. received and distinguithed, and (0 Rnowledse goc about them: and next
  37. tothem, the lels general, or specitick, Wrhich are next to particular. For
  38. abstract Ideas are nor (o obrious or easre to Children, or the vet unexer.
  39. ciled Mind, as particular ones. IEthes scem lo togroon Men, ris onty
  40. because by constant and tamiliar ule ther are made (o: For wrhen vo
  41. necels refect upon them, We Mall And, that general Ideas are Fictions
  42. and Contrivances ofthe Mind, thac carry difficulty wich them, and do
  43. not (0 casily otter themselres, as re are apt to imagine. For example,
  44. Doesit nor require lomo pains and sirill to form thc general Idea et a
  45. Frianole, (Wtrich. is yet none of the most abstract, comprehentive, and
  46. difficule,) For it must be neither Oblique, nor Rectanole, neither Rquila-
  47. teral, Equicrural, nor Scalenon; but all and none ot thele at once. In
  48. effect, it is Comething impertect, that cannor exist; an Ldea Wherein some
  49. Parrs oF several difterent and inconsiltene ldeas are put together. Fis
  50. erue, the Mind inthis imperfect cate, has necd oF such Ldeas, and maties
  51. all the haste to them ir can, for the conveniener of Comunication, and
  52. Enlarsement ofRnoledso; to boch wrhich, it is naturally very muctr
  53. enclined: BUE VeF One haS reaCOn to susPeCt SuCM Ldeas are maxHS OF OUr
  54. Imperfection; ae least, this is enouch ro ter, thac the most abstract
  55. and generat ideas, arc not thole chac ihie Mind is tiest and most easils
  56. 26quain.

Cite

An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 301. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0317?run=74