Description
By: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)
In “The Monadology” by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, readers are presented with a groundbreaking philosophical work that tackles questions about the nature of reality, individuality, and God. Leibniz introduces the concept of monads, which he describes as indivisible, unique substances that make up the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Through his intricate and complex explanation of monads, Leibniz offers a new perspective on how the world operates and how individual entities interact within it.
One of the most intriguing aspects of “The Monadology” is Leibniz’s discussion of pre-established harmony, which suggests that all monads are harmoniously interconnected by a divine plan. This idea challenges traditional beliefs about causality and determinism, and invites readers to consider a world where all beings exist in perfect coherence with one another.
While “The Monadology” can be dense and challenging at times, Leibniz’s meticulous reasoning and thought-provoking arguments make it a rewarding read for anyone interested in philosophy or metaphysics. Overall, Leibniz’s work offers a unique perspective on the nature of reality and the interconnectedness of all things, making it a thought-provoking and enlightening read for readers seeking a deeper understanding of the universe.
Book Description:
The Monadology (La Monadologie, 1714) is one of Gottfried Leibniz’s best known works representing his later philosophy. It is a short text which sketches in some 90 paragraphs a metaphysics of simple substances, or monads. What he proposed can be seen as a modification of occasionalism developed by latter-day Cartesians. Leibniz surmised that there are indefinitely many substances individually ‘programmed’ to act in a predetermined way, each program being coordinated with all the others. This is the pre-established harmony which solved the mind body problem at the cost of declaring any interaction between substances a mere appearance, something which Leibniz accepted. Indeed it was space itself which became an appearance as in his system there was no need for distinguishing inside from outside. True substances were explained as metaphysical points which, Leibniz asserted, are both real and exact — mathematical points being exact but not real and physical ones being real but not exact.
