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Single Idea 12929

[from 'New Essays on Human Understanding' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 3. Innate Knowledge / a. Innate knowledge ]

Full Idea

I always accepted the innate idea of God, but my new system says all the thoughts and actions of the soul come from its own depths and could not be given to it by the senses.

Gist of Idea

All of our thoughts come from within the soul, and not from the senses

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 1.01)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.74


A Reaction

It is hard to adjudicate on this one. The counterexamples would be associations. I see a face in the crowd and think of my friend. But Leibniz could be right even about that. Who cares? Externalism is designed to bypass this problem.