Download Leibniz's Final System: Monads, Matter, and Animals by Glenn A. Hartz PDF
By Glenn A. Hartz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was once one of many relevant figures of seventeenth-century philosophy, and a major highbrow determine in his age. This e-book from Glenn A. Hartz (editor of the influential Leibniz evaluate) is a sophisticated examine of Leibniz's metaphysics. Hartz analyzes a really complex subject, broadly mentioned in modern commentaries on Leibniz, specifically the query of no matter if Leibniz was once a metaphysical idealist, realist, or even if he attempted to reconcile either developments in his mature philosophy. simply because Leibniz is notoriously uncertain approximately this, a lot has been written at the topic. in recent times, the controversy has founded on if it is attainable to keep up compatibility among the 2 tendencies. during this arguable e-book, Hartz demonstrates that it isn't attainable to take care of compatibility of idealist and realist perspectives - they have to be understood as thoroughly separate theories. because the first significant paintings on realism in Leibniz's metaphysics, this key textual content will curiosity overseas Leibniz students, in addition to scholars on the graduate point.
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Additional info for Leibniz's Final System: Monads, Matter, and Animals (Routledge Studies in Seventeenth Century Philosophy)
Example text
Reason is supposed to lead us through the gloom of Falsehood into the brilliant light of Truth. If the best it can do is to eliminate obvious losers and present us with ‘‘possibly right’’ options, it’s a very lame enter- Introduction 25 prise. Freedom is a great thing, but Reason isn’t supposed to leave things that open-ended. Also the difference in background beliefs between contemporary scientists and Leibniz is crucial in this regard. For while they believe that a ‘‘godlike, omniscient point of view’’ is completely inaccessible, Leibniz didn’t.
But the overarching scheme needs the interlevel moves. Otherwise the accounts become ‘‘balkanized’’ and don’t fit into a unified pattern. 13 In response, some have removed the inconsistencies by construing the doctrines as if they all intended to tell the same story at the same level. But such well-intentioned efforts have the same cheapening effect on Leibniz’s system that a well-meaning restorer’s brush has on a masterpiece. This artificial ‘‘consistency’’ quickly brings the larger scheme to ruin.
If his method can’t uncover it, then he fails utterly. Worse, if he can build two equally good cases for two inconsistent positions, then I think he should feel pushed towards a wide-ranging and deep skepticism. He should question whether his methods are any good at all. If our clearest thinking leads to incoherence, then what confidence can we have in any thinking? In part, the reply to this challenge is now apparent: Leibniz the (minimal) Pluralist does not pursue ‘‘truth’’ in this sense. What Lewtas calls a ‘‘failure to uncover truth’’ would, in my terms, be a failure to uncover Truth.