The philosophy of Leibniz : metaphysics and language / Benson Mates.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mates, Benson, 1919-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm.

Philosophy, German--17th century.

Philosophy, German.

Philosophers--Germany--18th century.

Philosophers.

Nominalism.

Language and languages--Philosophy.

Language and languages.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 271 pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

Metaphysics and language

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 1986.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This is a systematic account of the wide-ranging philosophical ideas of Leibniz. The author, a highly respected analytical philosopher, has brought his own abilities to bear on the unwieldy and inaccessible corpus of Leibniz's work.

Contents:

I. Life and works. The early years (1646-72) ; Paris (1672-76) ; In Hanover, under three Princes ; Works

II. The system in outline

III. Propositions and concepts. The three regions ; Notation ; Propositions ; Concepts

IV. Possible worlds. Possible worlds as sets of concepts ; Puzzles about mirroring ; A numerical model of the possible worlds

V. Truth. The predicate-in-subject principle ; Containment ; Truth conditions ; Relativization to possible worlds ; Some consequences ; Critique

VI. Necessary and contingent truths. Absolute necessity ; Hypothetical necessity

VII. Identity in the actual world. Two criteria ; Oblique contexts ; The identity of indiscernibles

VIII. Cross-world identity. Adam's concept ; The double world ; Continuity ; Rigid designators

IX. "Two great principles" and two lesser ones. The principle of identity or of contradiction ; The principle of sufficient reason ; The principle of continuity ; The principle of the best

X. Leibniz's nominalism and the Lingua Philosophica. That only individual substances exist ; Nominalistic rephrasings ; Nominalism and the reform of language ; The Lingua Philosophica

XI. Leibnizian substances. Substance, simple and complex ; Accident ; Perception ; Bodies ; Leibniz on the mind-body problem

XII. Relations and denominations. The principal texts ; Terminology ; Sentences and propositions : predicates and properties ; Reducibility and dispensibility ; Denominations ; Summary ; Some additional texts

XIII. Space and time. The controversy with Newton ; Analysis Situs

XIV. Concluding thougths.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-983342-7

1-4356-3353-9

1-280-52412-X

9786610524129

0-19-802073-2

OCLC:

922952817