And this
conformity between our simple ideas and the existence of things, is
sufficient for real knowledge.
5. All complex ideas, except ideas of substances, are their own
archetypes. Secondly, All our complex ideas, except those of
substances, being archetypes of the mind's own making, not intended to
be the copies of anything, nor referred to the existence of
anything, as to their originals, cannot want any conformity
necessary to real knowledge. For that which is not designed to
represent anything but itself, can never be capable of a wrong
representation, nor mislead us from the true apprehension of anything,
by its dislikeness to it: and such, excepting those of substances, are
all our complex ideas. Which, as I have shown in another place, are
combinations of ideas, which the mind, by its free choice, puts
together, without considering any connexion they have in nature. And
hence it is, that in all these sorts the ideas themselves are
considered as the archetypes, and things no otherwise regarded, but as
they are conformable to them. So that we cannot but be infallibly
certain, that all the knowledge we attain concerning these ideas is
real, and reaches things themselves. Because in all our thoughts,
reasonings, and discourses of this kind, we intend things no further
than as they are conformable to our ideas.
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