Index for Chapter XXXII

Of True and False Ideas

1. Truth and falsehood properly belong to propositions, not to ideas.
2. Ideas and words may be said to be true, inasmuch as they really are ideas and words.
3. No idea, as an appearance in the mind, either true or false.
4. Ideas referred to anything extraneous to them may be true or false.
5. Other men's ideas;
6. The cause of such reference.
7. Names of things supposed to carry in them knowledge of their essences.
8. How men suppose that their ideas must correspond to things, and to the customary meanings of names.
9. Simple ideas may be false, in reference to others of the same name, but are least liable to be so.
10. Ideas of mixed modes most liable to be false in this sense.
11. Or at least to be thought false.
12. And why.
13. As referred to real existence, none of our ideas can be false but those of substances.
14. Simple ideas in this sense not false, and why.
15. Though one man's idea of blue should be different from another's.
16. Simple ideas can none of them be false in respect of real existence.
17. Modes not false cannot be false in reference to essences of things.
18. Ideas of substances may be false in reference to existing things.
19. Truth or falsehood always supposes affirmation or negation.
20. Ideas in themselves neither true nor false.
21. But are false- when judged agreeable to another man's idea, without being so.
22. When judged to agree to real existence, when they do not.
23. When judged adequate, without being so.
24. When judged to represent the real essence.
25. Ideas, when called false.
26. More properly to be called right or wrong.

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first edition 1994/10/29 last modified 1999/8/31