Leibniz’s Life
Where was Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz born?
Leipzig, Germany
What are the basic building blocks of reality in Leibniz’s theory?
Monads
Do monads interact with each other?
No.
What's wrong with a rock as a Monad?
What can it possibly mean for a rock to perceive?
Leibniz co-invented this major branch of mathematics.
Calculus
What year did Leibniz write Monadology?
1714
What are Bare Monads?
Lowest level, minimal awareness (e.g. material objects)
Which philosopher mocked Leibniz’s idea of “the best of all possible worlds”?
Voltaire
Leibniz’s dream was to create a universal ________
Language
What is the name of the idea that God synchronized all monads perfectly?
Pre-established harmony
What are Sensitive Monads?
Perceive but lack reasoning (e.g. animals)
This philosopher argued causality comes from observation, not monads.
David Hume
What age age did Leibniz start reading advanced Latin and Greek texts?
12 years old
How do monads differ from atoms?
They are not affected by outside forces and do not physically interact with anything else.
What are Rational Monads?
(Souls) Have reasoning and self-awareness (e.g. humans)
What's the issue of Monads containing everything?
If every monad contains everything, what’s the need for multiple monads?
What is Leibniz’s optimistic claim that God chose the most balanced version of the universe?
"The best of all possible worlds"
What is the mind and body problem?
Asks how something non-physical like the mind can interact with the physical body.
What is the supreme Monad?
(God) The highest monad, omniscient and responsible for the harmony of all other monads
What did Kant say about Leibniz’s view on space and time?
Kant believed space and time are a priori forms of human intuition, not relations between monads.