Leibniz
Cheet Sheet

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

- Entered the University of Leipzig at the age of 15 as a law student, was not granted his degree because of his age
- In 1666, he earned a degree in law and philosophy from the lesser-known University of Altdorf.
- Like Hobbes and Locke, he entered a life of public service instead of teaching.
- Invented Calculus
- While in Holland in 1676, he met Baruch Spinoza.

Definitions:

Axiom: Basic statements taken as starting points and assumed to be true. Self evident statement or principle. i.e. Something cannot come from nothing.

A Priori: Before experience.

A Posteriori: After experience.

Inferences: Process of moving from premises to conclusion.

Etymology: is the study of word origins.

Deductive: An argument (reasoning from general premises to a specific conclusion).

Inductive: This method is the scientific method and the opposite of deductive (reasoning from specific to general).

Valid: Generally follows rules + structure.

Sound: Premises themselves must be true.

Hypothesis: Anything that may be proposed to our belief.

Scolaticism: Philosophy done during the Middle Ages dominated by the Roman Catholic Church.

Dualism: (i) The view that a human being is comprised of both a visible part (body) and an invisible part (soul), and (ii) the view that there are 2 distinct worlds, physical in immaterial.

Syllogism: (Syllogistic Logic) argument that has a specific form. i.e.
- All men are mortal. (premise)
- Socrates is a man. (premise)
- Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (conclusion)

Metaphysics: Meta means beyond or after. Physics means physical world, laws of nature. Study of things beyond the physical world. i.e. Does God exist? Do I have a soul?

Epistemology: The study of knowledge. i.e. What can I know? What are the limits of my knowledge? "Epistemic" = Knowledge

Primary Truths

All meaningful statements must be one of two kinds:

1) A statement can be true in the way a definition is true. i.e. All bachelors are unmarried.

2) A statement can be true or not true by virtue of the way things are in the world. i.e. There's a monkey in the next room.

"A is A", "A is not not-A," or"if it is true that A is B, then it is false that A is not B or that A is not-B."

The New System of Nature

- He thought that we must not confuse minds or rational souls because they are of a higher order and have greater perfection than forms thrust into matter

- One of the main point of his New System of Nature is; what happens to the soul at the time of death?

- Since there is no first birth, it follows that there is no complete death.

- Therefore, there is no Transmigration of the soul, rather there is a transformation of the same animal.

The Principles of Philosophy or Monadology

Here is the sorce of the Monadology Paragraphs table.
http://www.philosophy.leeds.ac.uk/GMR/hmp/texts/modern/leibniz/monadology/monadology.html#m1