But having spoken sufficiently of words, and the ill or careless use
that is commonly made of them, I shall not say anything more of it
here.
31. Extent of human knowledge in respect to its universality.
Hitherto we have examined the extent of our knowledge, in respect of
the several sorts of beings that are. There is another extent of it,
in respect of universality, which will also deserve to be
considered; and in this regard, our knowledge follows the nature of
our ideas. If the ideas are abstract, whose agreement or
disagreement we perceive, our knowledge is universal. For what is
known of such general ideas, will be true of every particular thing in
whom that essence, i.e. that abstract idea, is to be found: and what
is once known of such ideas, will be perpetually and for ever true. So
that as to all general knowledge we must search and find it only in
our minds; and it is only the examining of our own ideas that
furnisheth us with that. Truths belonging to essences of things
(that is, to abstract ideas) are eternal; and are to be found out by
the contemplation only of those essences: as the existence of things
is to be known only from experience. But having more to say of this in
the chapters where I shall speak of general and real knowledge, this
may here suffice as to the universality of our knowledge in general.
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