PHIL2510: SPINOZA AND LEIBNIZ

UNIT 5: LEIBNIZ’S MONADOLOGY

TASK FOR WEEKS 6 & 7 (beginning 1st March)

For these two weeks you will be reading and making notes on the whole of Leibniz’s Monadology, which is only 8 sides of A4. I know it’s already a summary of his philosophy, but you might find it helpful to reduce it still further to a number of headings. You should work primarily from my translation (which I shall give you in hard copy); but you should also obtain a copy of Richard Francks and R.S. Woolhouse, G.W. Leibniz: Philosophical Texts (Oxford, 1998), since I shall be referring you to passages there which are not included among my own translations.

Read through my explanatory documents in order, starting with the Introduction to Leibniz (below).

By now you should be finishing your work on the assessed course essay, which must be submitted by Monday 8th March (note revised deadline).

PREPARATION FOR SEMINAR IN WEEK 8 (week beginning 15th March)

Write notes on the following topics, and bring them with you to the seminar:

1. How does Leibniz argue for the existence of God? Are his arguments satisfactory?

2. How does Leibniz view the relation between God and (a) the created universe in general, and (b) human beings?

3. How does Leibniz characterise God? Is he merely a philosopher’s abstraction, or could he be the object of religious worship?

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