to
represent things, and so are put in their place, their signification
must agree with the truth of things as well as with men's ideas. And
therefore, in substances, we are not always to rest in the ordinary
complex idea commonly received as the signification of that word, but
must go a little further, and inquire into the nature and properties of
the things themselves, and thereby perfect, as much as we can, our ideas
of their distinct species; or else learn them from such as are used
to that sort of things, and are experienced in them. For, since it is
intended their names should stand for such collections of simple ideas
as do really exist in things themselves, as well as for the complex idea
in other men's minds, which in their ordinary acceptation they stand
for, therefore, to define their names right, natural history is to be
inquired into, and their properties are, with care and examination, to
be found out. For it is not enough, for the avoiding inconveniences in
discourse and arguings about natural bodies and substantial things,
to have learned, from the propriety of the language, the common, but
confused, or very imperfect, idea to which each word is applied, and to
keep them to that idea in our use of them; but we must, by acquainting
ourselves with the history of that sort of things, rectify and settle
our complex idea belonging to each specific name; and in discourse with
others, (if we find them mistake us,) we ought to tell what the complex
idea is that we make such a name stand for. This is the more necessary
to be done by all those who search after knowledge and philosophical
verity, in that children, being taught words, whilst they have but
imperfect notions of things, apply them at random, and without much
thinking, and seldom frame determined ideas to be signified by them.
Which custom (it being easy, and serving well enough for the ordinary
affairs of life and conversation) they are apt to continue when they are
men: and so begin at the wrong end, learning words first and perfectly,
but make the notions to which they apply those words afterwards very
overtly. By this means it comes to pass, that men speaking the language
of their country, i.e. according to grammar rules of that language, do
yet speak very improperly of things themselves; and, by their arguing
one with another, make but small progress in the discoveries of useful
truths, and the knowledge of things, as they are to be found in
themsel