gottfried wilhelm leibniz

  • Leibniz: Space as a Relation and Absurd Otherwise

    In his third letter of correspondence with Samuel Clarke, Leibniz outlines his position on the nature of space. Contrary to Newton, and Clarke who defends him, Leibniz holds that space is “something purely relative” (14), that space is not a substance or a thing that exists, but rather the relationship between the objects it seems…

  • Leibniz: The Best of All Possible Worlds

    According to Leibniz, the actual world is the best of all possible worlds. He outlines a simple argument for this conclusion in The Monadology, §§53-55. The argument proceeds as follows: God has the idea of infinitely many universes. Only one of these universes can actually exist. God’s choices are subject to the principle of sufficient reason, that…