Judgment $er r oerted by Words. [Book X. 



they are defigned to reprefent, and there will be no 

 danger of confufion or miftake. 



Words reprefenting complex ideas, which are ob- 

 jects of our fenfes, are defined by enumerating the 

 fimple ideas of which they are compounded. 



Words reprefenting fimple ideas cannot properly be 

 defined, for it is impoffible to analyze the idea white, 

 Jweet, &c. 



It is unneceffary to fay any thing of the nature and 

 ufe of thofe words called particles. Such a difquifition 

 would be better adapted to a grammatical treatife, 

 than to the prefent work. 



Words may pervert our reafoning, either through 

 pafiion or ignorance. As words, by being connected 

 with objects, become in fome meafure capable of ex- 

 citing pleafure and pain, fo they may contribute to 

 prejudice us for or againft an object, when frequently 

 united with it, as is evident in the ufe of the epithets 

 good, fine, elegant, frightful, bad, &c *. 



W 7 hatever difputes or mifconceptions arife from ig- 

 norance of words, they generally happen in the names 

 of mixed modes y or abftract general terms ; for in the 

 ufe of thofe words, which only reprefent complex 



* " It onght to be remarked, that the words and phrafes of the 

 parents, governors, fuperiors, and attendants, have fo great an in- 

 fluence over children, when they firft come to the ufe of language, 

 as inftantly to generate an implicit belief, a ftrong defire, or high 

 degree of pleafure. They -have no fufpicions, jealoufies, memo- 

 ries, or expectations of being deceived or difappointed ; and there- 

 fore a fet of words expreffing pleafures of any kind, which they 

 have experienced, put together in almoft any form, will raife up 

 in them a pleafurable ftate, and oppofite words a painful one. 

 Whence it is eafy to fee, that the fine language expreffing praife, 

 and the harfli one expreffing difpraife, muft inftantly put them into 

 a ftate of hope and joy, fear and forrow refpe&ively. - Hartley, 

 Prop. 47. 



ideas 



