booksellers preparing for the Fourth Edition of my Essay, gave me
notice of it, that I might, if I had leisure, make any additions or
alterations I should think fit. Whereupon I thought it convenient to
advertise the reader, that besides several corrections I had made here
and there, there was one alteration which it was necessary to mention,
because it ran through the whole book, and is of consequence to be
rightly understood. What I thereupon said was this:--

CLEAR and DISTINCT ideas are terms which, though familiar and frequent
in men's mouths, I have reason to think every one who uses does not
perfectly understand. And possibly 'tis but here and there one who gives
himself the trouble to consider them so far as to know what he himself
or others precisely mean by them. I have therefore in most places chose
to put DETERMINATE or DETERMINED, instead of CLEAR and DISTINCT, as more
likely to direct men's thoughts to my meaning in this matter. By
those denominations, I mean some object in the mind, and consequently
determined, i. e. such as it is there seen and perceived to be. This, I
think, may fitly be called a determinate or determined idea, when such
as it is at any time objectively in the mind, and so determined there,
it is annexed, and without variation determined, to a name or articulate
sound, which is to be steadily the sign of that very same object of the
mind, or determinate idea.

To explain this a little more particularly. By DETERMINATE, when applied
to a simple idea, I mean that simple appearance which the mind has in
its view, or perceives in itself, when that idea is said to be in it:
by DETERMINED, when applied to a complex idea, I mean such an one as
consists of a determinate number of certain simple or less complex
ideas, joined in such a proportion and situation as the mind has before
its view, and sees in itself, when that idea is present in it, or should
be present in it, when a man gives a name to it. I say SHOULD be,
because it is not every one, nor perhaps any one, who is so careful of
his language as to use no word till he views in his mind the precise
determined idea which he resolves to make it the sign of. The want of
this is the cause of no small obscurity and confusion in men's thoughts
and discourses.

I know there are not words enough in any language to answer all the
variety of ideas that enter into men's discourses and reasonings. But
this hinders not but that when any one uses any