The text discusses the limits of human understanding and comprehension, explaining that while we can recognize certain truths because they come from a fundamental principle, the manner or means by which these exist is not always clear to us. It highlights the difference between what we merely understand and what we fully comprehend, using the example of an infinite line or eternity, which are concepts beyond our finite understanding. Ultimately, while we can grasp simple ideas like that of a triangle, we struggle to conceive more complex figures.
Human Studies, &c.
Things that have a common intersection with each other, but which, though we think about them for a long time, cannot give us a clear and pure thought or idea of the power of voluntary thinking and self-awareness of our own workings. Indeed, there are more things that we clearly understand to be real or likely to be real; and which we acknowledge as true because they come from a truthful beginning, even though we do not clearly understand the manner or means of their existence or union.
This is why it is necessary to make distinctions in such matters between comprehension and understanding. What one understands, one senses and feels only with reason and judgment: but what one comprehends, one wholly embraces in their thoughts, grasping it completely from beginning to end; and the manner in which it belongs to everything to which it pertains is seen clearly through this.
Thus, one only understands what an infinite line means, and what eternity is; but we cannot find a clear idea in ourselves whereby we could encompass an infinite line or the duration of eternity, as our reason and understanding are finite and bound; and it is a great contradiction to want the finite or bounded to comprehend the infinite or to describe the limitless.
We clearly understand how and what a triangle is, and we can find a true idea of its figure within us; but we cannot create or obtain a clear and distinct idea of a figure or body within us that has hundreds of thousands of angles; although...