Leibniz : a guide for the perplexed / Franklin Perkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perkins, Franklin.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm, Freiherr von, 1646-1716.

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm.

Physical Description:

viii, 174 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London : Continuum, 2007.

Summary:

Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Gottfried Leibniz is one of the most influential and important European philosophers of the early modern period. Although he wrote no single comprehensive explanation of his philosophy, his contributions to areas of philosophical thought range from metaphysics and epistemology to logic and cultural exchange.

Leibniz: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Leibniz's philosophy. The book covers the whole range of Leibniz's thought, offering detailed examination of the key areas of his ideas, emphasizing the intersections between his metaphysics, epistemology, ethical and scientific thought and his famous claim that reality consists of monads (unities) which do not interact. This is the ideal companion to the study of this most influential and challenging of philosophers.

Contents:

1 Reading Leibniz 1

I Context of Leibniz's philosophy 1

II Difficulties of reading Leibniz 7

2 God and the best possible world 15

I Two principles of knowledge 15

II The existence of God 20

III The nature of God 25

IV The best of all possible worlds 41

3 Substances 61

I Substance in early modern philosophy 61

II The simplicity and unity of substance in Leibniz 66

III Substances as points of view on the universe 79

IV Interaction and pre-established harmony 90

4 Rational minds 108

I Minute perceptions and levels of awareness 108

II Necessary truths and innate ideas 121

III Knowledge 130

IV Identity and choice 142

5 Leibniz's philosophy and Leibniz as philosopher 161.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780826489203

0826489206

0826489214

9780826489210

OCLC:

81453243