Index for Chapter III - Of the Extent of Human Knowledge

1. Extent of our knowledge.
2. It extends no further than we can perceive their agreement or disagreement.
3. Intuitive knowledge extends itself not to all the relations of all our ideas.
4. Nor does demonstrative knowledge.
5. Sensitive knowledge narrower than either.
6. Our knowledge, therefore, narrower than our ideas.
7. How far our knowledge reaches.
8. Our knowledge of identity and diversity in ideas extends as far as our ideas themselves.
9. Of their co-existence, extends only a very little way.
10. Because the connexion between simple ideas in substances is for the most part unknown.
11. Especially of the secondary qualities of bodies.
12. Because necessary connexion between any secondary and the primary qualities is undiscoverable by us.
13. We have no perfect knowledge of their primary qualities.
14. And seek in vain for certain and universal knowledge of unperceived qualities in substances.
15. Of repugnancy to co-exist, our knowledge is larger.
16. Our knowledge of the co-existence of powers in bodies extends but a very little way.
17. Of the powers that co-exist in spirits yet narrower.
18. Of relations between abstracted ideas it is not easy to say how far our knowledge extends.
19. Two things have made moral ideas to be thought incapable of demonstration:
20. Remedies of our difficulties in dealing demonstratively with moral ideas.
21. Of the three real existences of which we have certain knowledge.
22. Our ignorance great.
23. One cause of our ignorance want of ideas.
24. Want of simple ideas that men are capable of having, but have not, because of their remoteness.
25. Because of their minuteness.
26. Hence no science of bodies within our reach.
27. Much less a science of unembodied spirits.
28. Another cause, want of a discoverable connexion between ideas we have.
29. Instances.
30. A third cause, want of tracing our ideas.
31. Extent of human knowledge in respect to its universality.


R. © Roger Bishop Jones created 29/10/94; modified 4/12/95