CHAP. II. Of the signification of words. SECT. 1. Wordsare sensible signs necessary for communication. 2, 3. Words are the sensible signs of his ideas who uses them. 4. Words often secretly referred, First, to the ideas in other men's minds. 5. Secondly, To the reality of things. 6. Words by use readily excite ideas. 7. Words often used without signification. 8. Their signification perfectly arbitrary. SECT. CHAP. III. Of general terms. 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 definitions. 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 and nominal essence the same in simple ideas and modes, different in substances. 19. Essences ingenerable and incorruptible. 20. Recapitulation. CHAP. V. Of the names of mixed modes and relations. SECT. CHA P. IV. Of the names of simple ideas. SECT. 1. Names of simple ideas, modes, and substances,have each something peculiar. 2. First, Names of simple ideas and substances, intimate real existence. 3. Secondly, Names of simple ideas and modes signify always both real and nominal essence. 4. Thirdly, Names of simple ideas undefinable. 5. If all were definable, it would be a process in infinitum. 6. What a definition is. 7. Simple ideas, why unde- 8,9. Instances, motion. 11. Simple ideas, why undefinable further explained. 12, 13. The contrary showed in complex ideas by instances of a statue and rainbow. 14. The names of complex ideas when to be made intelligible by words. 15. Fourthly, Names of sim ple ideas least doubtful. 16. Fifthly, Simple ideas have few ascents in linea prædicamentali. 17. Sixthly, Names of simple ideas, stand for ideas not at all arbitrary. 1. They stand for abstract ideas as other general. names. 2. First, The ideas they stand for are made by the understanding. 3. Secondly, made arbitrarily, 4. How this is done. 6. Instances, murther, incest, 7. But still subservient to the end of language. 8. Whereof the intranslatable words of divers languages are a proof. 9. This shows species to be 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 14. Names of mixed modes essences. 15. Why their names are usu ally got before their ideas. 16. Reason of my being so large on this subject. 5. Instance in But. 6. This matter but lightly touched here. CHAP. VIII. Of abstract and concrete terms. SEC T. 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 - recording. 3. Communicationbywords, civil or philosophical. 4. The imperfection of words is the doubtfulness of their signification. 5. Causes of their imperfection. 6. The names of mixed modes doubtful: first, because 7. Secondly, because they 9. The way of learning these 10. Hence unavoidable obscu rity in ancient authors. 11. Names of substances, of doubtful signification. 12. Names of substances referred, 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 instruments of knowledge and communication. 11. As useful as to confound the sound of the letters. 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. what they cannot signify. 18. V. g. putting them for the realessences of substances. 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, asupposition 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. 20-31. How men's words fail in all these. 32. How in substances. 33. How in modes and relations. 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 philosophy. 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 de monstration. 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 knowledge of spirits. 24. Ideas also of substances 25 Not easy to be made so. |