Leibniz's 'New System' and Associated Contemporary TextsOne of the greatest of modern philosophers, on a par with his contemporary John Locke, Leibniz was born in Leipzig in 1646, died in Hanover in 1716. He was a leading figure in European intellectual circles, and the founder of the Academy of Berlin. His strange, complex mataphysical system established him as the third of the great `Rationalists', after Descartes and Spinoza. Along with the `New System', his most famous philosophical works are the Discourse of Metaphysics (1685) and Monadology (c.1713). He also made important contributions to logic, mathematics, theology, jurisprudence, and history. Gathered here for the first time are all the key texts in a crucial debate in modern philosophy, centred on Leibniz's famous 1695 essay, the `New System of the Nature of Substances and their Communication'. In this classic essay Leibniz introduced to a broad European readership the strikingly original metaphysical ideas he had come to a decade earlier. His `system' became increasingly famous and drew him into discussion and development of these ideas, both in public and in private, with a variety of thinkers: Simon Foucher; Henri Basbage de Beauval; Francois Lamy; Isaac Jacquelot; the Englishwoman Damaris Masham; Pierre Desmaizeaux; René Joseph de Tournemine; and most notably the great French philosopher and scholar Pierre Bayle. Woolhouse and Francks's new English edition gives the only full representation of this debate, and will therefore be essential reading for anyone who wishes to gain a proper understanding of Leibniz's philosophy and its intelletual context. As Leibniz himself said, "he who knows only what I have published does not know me." All the texts are newly translated and extensively annotated; many appear in English for the first time. |
Contents
The New System of the Nature of Substances | 7 |
Leibniz and Simon Foucher | 37 |
Leibniz and Henri Basnage de Beauval | 61 |
Leibniz and Pierre Bayle | 68 |
Leibniz and Pierre Bayle | 69 |
A Letter to the Editor Containing | 79 |
Note L to Dictionary Article Rorarius | 86 |
Unpublished Comments on Bayles Note | 96 |
Remarks on Lamy November 1702 | 152 |
Reply to the Objections that the Author | 165 |
Leibniz and Isaac Jaquelot | 171 |
Leibniz and Damaris Masham | 202 |
Leibniz and Pierre Desmaizeaux | 226 |
Harmony 1702 pub Histoire critique de la République | 238 |
Leibniz and René Joseph de Tournemine | 246 |
Extract from Comment on an article | 249 |
Other editions - View all
Leibniz's 'New System': and associated contemporary texts R. S. Woolhouse,Richard Francks No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
according Acta eruditorum actions agree animals Aristotle atoms attribute Basnage Bayle Bayle's believe body Bossuet Cartesians consequence correspondence created things Descartes Desmaizeaux difficulty divine entelechies Epicurus everything existence explain extension feelings follows force Foucher François Lamy French at G give God's happens Hippocrates Histoire des ouvrages ideas infinite influence Jaquelot Jean Masson Journal des savants Lamy Lamy's laws Leibniz Leibniz's New System letter liberty machine Malebranche matter mechanical metaphysical mind modifications motion move movements nature never objections occasional causes occasionalist opinion organic ouvrages des savants Paris Parmenides perfect perfectly phenomena philosophers Pierre Bayle possible pre-established harmony principle produce published reason Remond reply République des lettres Rorarius seems sent Simon Foucher soul spontaneity substance system of occasional system of pre-established theory Third Explanation thoughts Tournemine Trévoux true understand union unity universe wisdom