Full Idea
Far from approving the acceptance of doubtful principles, I want to see an attempt to demonstrate even Euclid's axioms, as some of the ancients tried to do.
Gist of Idea
We shouldn't just accept Euclid's axioms, but try to demonstrate them
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 1.02)
Book Reference
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.101
A Reaction
This is the old idea of axioms, as a bunch of basic self-evident truths, rather than the modern idea of an economical set of propositions from which to make deductions. Demonstration has to stop somewhere.
Related Ideas
Idea 574 Not everything can be proven, because that would lead to an infinite regress [Aristotle]
Idea 1672 Maybe everything could be demonstrated, if demonstration can be reciprocal or circular [Aristotle]