Caroline of Ansbach (1683–1737) was the daughter of Johannn Friedrich, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, who died in 1686. She was brought up with the family of King Friedrich I and Queen Sophie Charlotte of Prussia, mostly at Berlin. She got to know Leibniz well, and they corresponded in later years.

In 1705, she married Georg August, who was the son of Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover, and who was also Sophie Charlotte’s brother. In 1714, Georg Ludwig became King George I of England, because his mother, the Electress Sophie, was the granddaughter of James I of England, and only a Protestant could inherit the throne.

Picture of Caroline
Hanoverian family tree

When George and his family went to England, Leibniz was ordered to stay behind in Hanover. He kept in regular correspondence with Caroline. Leibniz had often expressed his view (both publicly and privately) that Newton’s philosophy encouraged atheism. There was already bad blood between Newtonians and Leibnizians over the dispute as to who first discovered the infinitesimal calculus, and Caroline thought it might help to calm things down if there were a dispassionate debate about the issues. She therefore asked Leibniz to say exactly why he objected to Newton’s philosophy, and he did so in a letter of 1715, of which I have translated an extract.

Caroline gave Leibniz’s letter to Samuel Clarke to write a reply. Dr. Samuel Clarke (1675–1729) was Rector of St. James’s Westminster, and a staunch supporter of Newton. In 1706, he had published a Latin translation of Newton’s Optics; and it was on this work that Leibniz’s based his criticisms of Newton. I have also translated the relevant passages from Clarke’s translation of the Optics.

There followed an exchange of letters, which ended only with Leibniz’s death in November 1716, after Clarke had written his fifth reply. It seems clear that Clarke consulted regularly with Newton, and that Clarke’s replies reflect Newton’s own views.

Throughout the correspondence, Leibniz wrote in French, and Clarke wrote in English. On hearing of Leibniz’s death, Clarke translated Leibniz’s letters into English, and had his own letters translated into French. They were printed in a bilingual edition, with the French versions on even-numbered pages, and the English versions on odd-numbered pages. Clarke also included a selection of 13 extracts from Leibniz’s published writings, to help the reader understand the context of Leibniz’s letters. In addition, he appended some miscellaneous pieces on liberty and necessity.

I have translated from the French of this edition, of which the title is: A Collection of Papers, which passed between the late Learned Mr. Leibnitz, and Dr. Clarke, in the Years 1715 and 1716. Relating to the Principles of Natural Philosophy and Religion (London: James Knapton, 1717). Page numbers in square brackets refer to this edition.

Go to the Index to the correspondence with Caroline