CHA P. II. Of the signification of words. SECT. 1. Words are sensible signs necessary for communication. 2, 3. Words are the sensible 4. Words often secretly re- 6. Words by use readily ex- 7. Words often used without signification. 8. Their signification perfectly arbitrary, 1. The greatest part of words general. 2. For every particular thing to have a name, is impossible. 3, 4. And useless. 5. What things have proper names. 6-8. How general words are made. 9. General natures are nothing but abstract ideas. 10. Why the genus is ordinarily made use of in defini. tions. 11. General and universal are creatures of the understanding. 12. Abstract ideas are the essences of the genera and species. 13. They are the workmanship of the understanding, but have their foundation in the similitude of things. 14. Each distinct abstract idea is a distinct essence. 15. Real and nominal essence. 16. Constant connexion be tween the name and nominal essence. 17. Supposition, that species are distinguished by their real essences, useless. 18. Real 18. Real and nominal essence the same in simple ideas and modes, different in substances. 19. Essences ingenerable and incorruptible. 20. Recapitulation. CHA P. IV. Of the names of simple ideas. SECT. 1. Names of simple ideas, 2. First, Names of simple would be a process in infi- 6. What a definition is. 7. Simple ideas, why undefinable. 8, 9. Instances, motion. CHAP. V. Of the names of mixed modes and relations. SECT. 1. They stand for abstract ideas as other general names. 2. First, The ideas they stand 3. Secondly, made arbitra- 7. But still subservient to made for communication. 10. 11. In mixed modes, it is the name that ties the combination together, and makes it a species. 12. For the originals of mixed modes, we look no farther than the mind, which also shows them to be the workmanship of the understanding. 13. Their being made by the understanding without patterns, shows the reason why they are so compounded. 14. Names of mixed modes stand always for their real essences. 15. Why their names are usu ally got before their ideas. 16. Reason of my being sa large on this subject. CHAP. 5. Instance in But. 6. This matter but lightly touched here. CHA P. VIII. Of abstract and concrete terms. SECT. 1. Abstract terms not predicable one of another, and why. 2. They show the difference of our ideas. CHAP. IX. Of the imperfection of words. SECT. 1. Words are used for recording and communicating our thoughts. 2. Any words will serve for 3. Communication by words, 5. Causes of their imperfec tion. 6. The names of mixed modes doubtful: first, because the ideas they stand for, are so complex. 7. Secondly, because they have no standards. 8. Propriety not a sufficient remedy. 9. The way of learning these names contributes also to their doubtfulness. 10. Hence unavoidable obscu rity in ancient authors. 11. Names of substances, of doubtful signification. 12. Names of substances re. ferred, first, to real essences, that cannot be known. 13. 14. Secondly, to co-existing qualities, which are known but imperfectly. 15. With this imperfection. they may serve for civil, but not well for philosophical use. 16. Instance, liquor of the nerves. 17. Instance, gold. 18. The names of simple ideas, the least doubtful. 19. And next to them, simple modes. 20. The most doubtful, are the names of very compounded mixed modes and substances. 21. Why this imperfection charged upon words. 22, 23. This should teach us moderation in imposing our own sense of old authors. СНАР. Х. Of the abuse of words. SECT. 1. Abuse of words. 2, 3. First, words without any, or without clear ideas. 4. Occasioned by learning names, before the ideas they belong to. 5. Secondly, a steady appli cation of them. 6. Thirdly, affected obscurity, by wrong application. 7. Logic and dispute have much contributed to this. 8. Calling it subtilty. 9. This learning very little benefits society. 10. But destroys the instru ments of knowledge and communication. 11. As useful as to confound the sound of the letters. 12. This 12. This art has perplexed re ligion and justice. 13. And ought not to pass for learning. 14. Fourthly, taking them for 15. Instance in matter. 17. Fifthly, setting them for 19. Hence we think every change of our idea in substances, not to change the species. 20, The cause of this abuse, a supposition of nature's working always regularly. 21. This abuse contains two false suppositions. 22. Sixthly, a supposition that words have a certain and evident signification. 23. The ends of language: first, to convey our ideas. 24. Secondly, to do it with quickness. 25. Thirdly, therewith to convey the knowledge of things. 26-31. How men's words fail in all these. 32. How in substances. tions. 34.Seventhly, figurative speech also an abuse of language. CHAP. XI. Of the remedies of the foregoing imperfections and abuses. SECT. 1. They are worth seeking, 2. Are not easy. 3. But yet necessary to phi losophy. 4. Misuse of words, the cause of great errours. 5. Obstinacy. 6. And wrangling. 7. Instance, bat and bird. 8. First remedy, to use no word without an idea. 9. Secondly, to have distinct ideas annexed to them in modes. 10. And distinct and conformable in substances. 11. Thirdly, propriety. 12. Fourthly, to make known their meaning. 13. And that three ways. 14. First, in simple ideas by synonimous terms, showing. or 15. Secondly, in mixed modes by definition. 16. Morality capable of demonstration. 17. Definitions can make moral discourses clear. 18. And is the only way. 19. Thirdly, in substances, by showing and defining. 20, 21. Ideas of the leading qualities of substances, are best got by showing. 22. The ideas of their powers, best by definition. 23, A reflection on the know. easy 25. to be made so. 26. Fifthly, by constancy in their signification. 27. When the variation is to be explained. BOOK |