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Single Idea 12978

[from 'New Essays on Human Understanding' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 5. Modality from Actuality ]

Full Idea

One mark of a perfect idea is that it shows conclusively that the object is possible.

Gist of Idea

A perfect idea of an object shows that the object is possible

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 2.31)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.268


A Reaction

Subtle but nice. My favourite example would be that the perfect idea of a bonfire on the Moon shows that it is not possible. Essence reveals necessity, as Aristotle and Kit Fine claim. A perfect idea has a single definition.