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Single Idea 12930

[from 'New Essays on Human Understanding' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 12. Knowledge Sources / C. Rationalism / 1. Rationalism ]

Full Idea

Intellectual ideas, from which necessary truths arise, do not come from the senses. ...The ideas that come from the senses are confused; and so too, at least in part, are the truths which depend on them, whereas intellectual ideas are distinct.

Gist of Idea

The senses are confused, and necessities come from distinct intellectual ideas

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.81


A Reaction

One might compare Descartes' example of the chiliagon, which is only grasped clearly by the intellect. However, the problem of vagueness seems to intrude as much into intellectual ideas as it does into the senses. He was a mathematician...