An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 328
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The machine reads it as
- Improvement of our lnomledoe.. BC
- by Contemplation of cur Pdeos, e cannot discorer, there Experience
- Observation, and natural Hlistory, must sive us by our senses, and by
- retail, an insislit into corporeal substances. The Hnomledse ot Bodies
- we must get by our Senles, arily employed in talins notice ot cheie
- Oualities, and Operations on one another; and What WWe hOpe FO KnOV
- ot separated Spiries in ehis Norid, We mult, P thinl, expect onty From
- Revelation. IIe that Mall consider, hou little generat Maxims, precarious
- Principles, and ypotheses laid doon at Pleasure, have promoted true
- Rnouledee, or hrelped to latistre the Enquiries ot rational _en atter reat
- improvements. Ior licclo, ICay, the sertins out at the end, has for ma-
- ty Ages together advanceduens Proorels tonards the Rnonledoe oftii
- tural Philosopr, Will chinte, ve have Reason to chankthose Meri, iho in
- this latter AoChave takten anochere ourse, andhave trod out tous, thouohinoe
- an easier as to learned gnorance, ret a lurer Way to protitable Hnomledsc.
- 5. F3. Wot that e may not, 1o explain any Phaenomena ot Nature,
- malce ulc ot any probable sypothesis Whatloerer: Typotheses, il ther are
- avell made, are ae least rreat helps to the Memory, and osten direct us
- ro new Dilesveries. Buc my Dlcanino is, that e Mould not take up anr
- one t0o hastilr, (Which the Nind, thar vould elirays penetrate into the
- Causes of Thines, and have Principles to rest on, is very apt to do,) till
- e have very well examined Particulars, and made several experiments,
- in chaechins re vould explain by our Hopochesis, and see Wrhether it wili
- aeree to themall; Wtrether our Principles will carry us quire througt,
- and not be as inconsictent withi one Phaenomenon ol Nature, as ther scem
- eo accommodate, and explain another. And at leas, that we talte care,
- that the Name of Principles deceireus not, norimpole on us, by matins
- usreceire that for an unqueltionable Truth, Which is really, at best, but
- a very doubesul conjecture, such as are most (Phad almost faid aII) OF tHC
- FIypocheles in natural Philosoptr.
- G. r4. Butwhether narural Philosophy be capable of Certainty, or no,
- the mays eo entrree bur Anouledse, astar as re are capable, seem to me, in
- Bort, to be thele WO:
- First. THC First 15 20 cet, and setile in our Minds, aS far a5 We ean, clear,
- distinet, and constant Ideas osthole Things we rould contider and RnOW. FOr
- it beins crident, char our Rnomledse cannot exccedour Ideas, Where they
- are cirtier imperlect, or oblcure, We cannor expect ro have certain, and
- perlect Knomledoe.
- Seconaly, The ocher is the Art oF finding out thole intermediate Ideas,
- Which mas crer us the Aorcement, or Repugnanes ot other Ldeas, rhicta
- cannot be immediatel compared.
- 8. 25. That these ero (and not the relrins on Maxims, and dramine
- Consequences trom (ome general Propositions) are the righe Method otim
- provins our Rnomledse in otber Ideas of Modes, the Consideration
- OfMathematical Rnomledse illealils inform us. Wrhere trst e Mal
- Andi that he thathasnor a pertect, and clear Ldea OF chose AngleS, Ox Fi
- Sures of rhich he desires to knor ans chine, is urterty cherebr uncapa
- ble oFany snomledseabourchem. Suppole but a Man, nocto have a
- perfect exact Idea ot a risht Anele, a Scalenum, Or Fraperium; and there
- is nochinq more clear, that he ill in vain seck any Demonstration about
- Ehem. And sarther it is cvident, chat it eras not the insuence ot thole
- Maxiis, Wrhich are talcen for Principles in Mathematicls, thac hath led
- the Rlasters ot that Scienee into thole vondertul Discoveries ther have
- mado. Tet a Man ofg0od Pares briow all the Plaxims generally made ule
- OE in Machemariels nerer (o persectly, and contemplare their Fxrent and
- COnIEGUEHCES
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 328. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0344?run=74