An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 344
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The machine reads it as
- Wrhollr ne, and unborrored, TMall tave siven Occasion tO OEHerS, EO
- cast about for new Discoveries, and to seckc in their omn ThourHES, for
- thole rishe Telps of art, Whch Will scarce be founid, I fcar, By those
- erho servilely contine thomselres to the Rules and Dictates ot ochers; for
- Deaten Fracts lead thele Tort oF Cartel, (as an observino Roman calls
- them,) Wrhole Thoushes reach onls ro imitation, Non quo eundum est,
- sed quo itur. But Pean be bold to tar, that this AsC is adorned wich sone
- MCn OF Fhat Strenseh oF Fudsment, and Largeness ot Comprehension
- that il ches rould emplos their Thouslus on eliis Subject, could open
- ner and undiseovered Wazs, to che Adrancement ol Hnowledse.
- 6. 8. Flaving here had Occasion to speale oF SyIlosilm in general, and
- the OsC oF it, in Realonins, and the Improvemene ot our Rnom ledoe, tis
- sit, Defore Plcare this subject, to tale notice ot one manitest Mistake in
- theRules oSyllosim; viz. Fhacno Syllosistical Rcalonins cani be rigtt
- and conclusire, but what has, at least, one seneral Propolition in it. A5 il
- ve could not reason, and have Rnomledse about Particulars; Whereas, in
- truth, the Matter righel considered, the immediate Object of aIl our Rea
- Fonins and Rnomledse, is nothins but Particulars. Fverr Man S Reasonins
- and Knomledse, is only about the ideas existins in his omn Mind, Wrhict
- are truly, every one of them, particular Existences; and our Rnomledoe
- and Reasonins about other Fhines, is ouly as thes correspond with thole
- our particular Ideas. So that the Perception ol the Acreement, or Dis-
- agreement of our particular ideas, is the wrhole and urmost ot all our
- Knomledse: Oniversalier is but accidental to it, and consilts ouly inthis.
- That the particular Ideas, about Which it is, are such, as more Fhan ORC
- particular Thins can correspond ith, and be represented by. But chc
- Perception oE the Agreement, or Dilasreement ol ans tro Ideas, and
- consequentr, our Rnomledse, is equally clear and certain, Whether cither.
- Or Both, or neither of thole Ldeas De capable ol reprelentins more reat
- BeingS Than OMC, Or nO.
- 5. 9. Reason, Thouoh it penetrates intothe Depths ol the Sea and FarFH.
- elevates our Thoughes as hish a5 theStars, and leads us throush the
- vast Spaces, and larse Rooms of this misluy Fabriele, vet it comes tar
- Prort ol the real Fxtent of even corporeal Beins; and there are mani
- Instances Wherein it fails us: AS,
- First, IE perteetls Fails us, where our Ideas fait. Ie neither does, nor can
- exterid it selE Farther rhan thez do: and theretore, where ever ve have no
- Fdeas, our Reasonine SopS, and e are at an End ot our Reckonine:
- And il at any rime e reason about Nords, Wrhich do not stand for any
- Ideas, tis onty aboyt thole Sounds, and nothing else.
- 6. F0. Seconcly Our Reason is oster puzled, and at a lols, because of the
- scurity, Confusion, or Imperfection of the Ideas it is employed abour; and
- chere e aro involved in Disiculties and Contradictions. ThuS, nOt ha-
- vins ans pertect Idea oFthe least Extention of Matter, nor oF Intinity,
- re are at a loss abouttheDivilibilier of Matter; but havins pertect, clear
- and distinct deas oF Dumber, our Realon meets ith none ot chole inex-
- cricable Disficulties in Numbers, nor tinds it sels involved in ans Contra-
- dictions about chem. Thus, Ve havins but impertect Ideas, ot the Opera-
- tions of our Minds uxon our Bodies or Thousts; and of theBeginnins oF
- cither Notion or Thouslt in us; and much impertecter vet, ot the Ope-
- ration ot GiOD, run into great Difficulties about trec, created ASCHIS,
- Which Rcason cannor ell extricate it sClF out of.
- S. FF. Thiraly, Our Realon is olten at a Ctand, because it perceives not those
- Ideas, which could serve to sheu the cerrain or probable rreement, or Dis-
- agreement
- B.
- dase
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 344. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0360?run=74