SECT.

CHAP. X.

Of the Abufe of Words.

1. Abuse of Words.

2, 3. First, Words without any, or without clear Ideas.
4. Occafioned by learning Names before the Ideas they
belong to.

5. Secondly, Unfteady Application of them.

6. Thirdly, Affected Obfcurity by wrong Application.
7. Logic and Difpute has much contributed to this.
8. Calling it Subtilty.

9. This Learning very little benefits Society.

10. But deftroys the Inftruments of Knowledge and Com-
munication.

11. As ufeful as to confound the Sound of the Letters.
12. This Art has perplexed Religion and Justice.

13. And ought not to pafs for Learning.

14. Fourthly, Taking them for things.

15. Inftance in Matter.

16. This makes Errors lafting.

17. Fifthly, Setting them for what they cannot fignify.
18. v. g. Putting them for the real Effences of Subftances.
19. Hence we think every Change of our Idea in Sub-
ftances, not to change the Species.

20. The Cause of this Abuse, a Suppofition of Nature's
working always regularly.

21. This Abufe cocains two falfe Suppofitions.

22. Sixthly, A Suppofition, that Words have a certain and
evident Signification.

23. The Ends of Language. Firft, To convey our Ideas.
24. Secondly, To do it with Quickness.

25. Thirdly, Therewith to convey the Knowledge of
things.

26.31. How Mens words fail in all these.

32. How in Substances.

33. How in Modes and Relations.

34. Seventhly, Figurative Speech alfo an Abufe of Lan.

guage.

CHAP. XI.

Of the Remedies of the foregoing Imperfections and Abuses.

SECT.

1. They are worth feeking.

2. Are not easy.

3. But yet neceffary to Philofophy.

4. Mifufe of Words, the Cause of great Errors.
5. Obftinacy.

6. And wrangling.

7. Inftance-Bat and Bird.

8. Firft Remedy, To ufe no Word without an Idea.

9. Secondly, To have diftinct Ideas annexed to them in

Modes.

10. And diftinct and conformable in Subftances.

11. Thirdly, Propriety.

12. Fourthly, To make known their Meaning.

13. And that three ways.

14. First, In fimple Ideas by fynonymous Terms or show-
ing.

15. Secondly, In mixed Modes by Definition.

16. Morality capable of Demonftration.

17. Definitions can make moral Difcourfes clear.

18. And is the only way.

19. Thirdly, In Subftances, by fhowing and defining.

20, 21. Ideas of the leading Qualities of Subftances are
beft got by fhowing.

22. The Ideas of their Powers beft by Definition.
23. A Reflection on the Knowledge of Spirits.

24. Ideas alfo of Substances must be conformable to things.
25. Not easy to be made fo.

26. Fifthly, By Conftancy in their Signification.
27. When the Variation is to be explained.

OF HUMAN UNDERSTANDING.

BOOK II.-CHAP. XXII.

H

OF MIXED MODES.

1. Mixed Modes, what.

AVING treated of fimple modes in the foregoing
chapters, and given feveral inftances of fome of
the moft confiderable of them, to fhow what they are,
and how we come by them, we are now, in the next
place, to confider thofe we call mixed modes; fuch are
the complex ideas we mark by the names obligation,
drunkenness, a lie, &c., which confifting of feveral
combinations of fimple ideas of different kinds, I have
called mixed modes, to diftinguish them from the more
fimple modes, which confift only of fimple ideas of the
fame kind. Thefe mixed modes, being alfo fuch com-
binations of fimple ideas, as are not looked upon to be
characteristical marks of any real beings that have a
fteady existence, but fcattered and independent ideas
put together by the mind, are thereby diftinguished
from the complex ideas of fubftances.,

§2. Made by the Mind.

THAT the mind, in refpect of its fimple ideas, is
wholly paffive, and receives them all from the existence
and operations of things, fuch as fenfation or reflection
offers them, without being able to make any one idea,
experience fhows us; but, if we attentively confider
thefe ideas I call mixed modes, we are now fpeaking of,
we shall find their original quite different. The mind
often exercises an active power in making these several
VOL. II.

A

combinations; for, it being once furnished with fimple
ideas, it can put them together in feveral compofitions,
and fo make variety of complex ideas, without examin-
ing whether they exift fo together in nature. And hence
I think it is that these ideas are called notions, as if they
had their original and conftant existence more in the
thoughts of men than in the reality of things; and, to
fuch ideas, it fufficed that the mind puts the parts of
them together, and that they were confiftent in the un-
derstanding, without confidering whether they had
any real being; though I do not deny but feveral of
them might be taken from obfervation, and the exift-
ence of feveral fimple ideas fo combined, as they are
put together in the understanding. For the man who
firft framed the idea of hypocrify might have either taken
it at first from the obfervation of one who made show
of good qualities which he had not, or else have framed
that idea in his mind, without having any fuch pattern
to fashion it by; for it is evident, that in the begin-
ning of languages and focieties of men, feveral of thofe
complex ideas, which were confequent to the conftitu-
tions established amongst them, muit needs have been
in the minds of men before they exifted any where
elfe; and that many names that stood for fuch com-
plex ideas were in ufe, and fo thofe ideas framed, be-
fore the combination they stood for ever existed.

§3. Sometimes got by the Explication of their Names.
INDEED, now that languages are made, and abound
with words-standing for fuch combinations, an ufual
way of getting thofe complex ideas, is by the explication of
thofe terms that fland for them. For, confifting of a
company of fimple ideas combined, they may, by words
ftanding for thofe fimple ideas, be reprefented to the
mind of one who understands thofe words, though
that complex combination of fimple ideas were never
offered to his mind by the real exiftence of things.
Thus a man may come to have the idea of facrilege or
murder, by enumerating to him the fimple ideas which
thefe words ftand for, without ever feeing either of
them committed.

4. The Name ties the parts of mixed Modes into

one Idea.

EVERY mixed mode confifting of many diftinct fimple ideas, it seems reasonable to inquire whence it has its unity, and how fuch a precife multitude comes to make but one idea, fince that combination does not always exist together in nature Tohich I anfwer, It is plain it has its unity from an act of the mind combining those several fimple ideas together, and confidering them as one complex one, confifting of those parts; and the mark of this union, or that which is looked on generally to complete it, is one name given to that combination. For it is by their names that men commonly regulate their account of their diftinct fpecies of mixed modes, feldom allowing or confidering any number of fimple ideas to make one complex one, but fuch collections as there be names for. Thus, though the killing of an old man be as fit in nature to be united into one complex idea as the killing a man's father, yet, there being no name standing precifely for the one, as there is the name of parricide to mark the other, it is not taken for a particular complex idea, nor a distinct fpecies of actions, from that of killing a young man, or any other man.

§ 5. The Caufe of making mixed Modes.

IF we should inquire a little farther, to see what it is that occafions men to make feveral combinations of fimple ideas into diftinct, and, as it were, fettled modes, and neglect others, which, in the nature of things themfelves, have as much an aptnefs to be combined, and make diftinct ideas, we fhall find the reason of it to be the end of language, which being to mark or communicate mens thoughts to one another with all the difpatch that may be, they ufually make fuch collections of ideas into complex modes, and affix names to them, as they have frequent ufe of in their way of living and converfation, leaving others, which they have but feldom an occafion to mention, loofe, and Without names that tie them together; they rather choofing to enumcrate (when they have need) fuch ideas