This week we discuss Leibniz’s theory of truth and ways in which it relates to his conception of substance, the principle of sufficient reason, and explanation.
Readings
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Leibniz:
- “Meditations on Knowledge, Truth, and Ideas”
- “First Truths”
- Discourse on Metaphysics, §§1–13
- New Essays Concerning Human Understanding, Preface (pp. 304-5, on Locke & superaddition)
- “Monadology”, §§31-60
- Excerpts from the Letters to Clarke
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You can download these readings here.
Recommended
Recommended readings below. I especially encourage you to read the objections from Hume. You can download the whole set of readings here.
- Hume:
- Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, §9
- Enquiry Concerning Human understanding, §4, part I
- Della Rocca: “Violations of the Principle of Sufficient Reason (in Leibniz and Spinoza)”
- Jolley, “The Metaphysics of Substances: Unity and Activity”
- Rutherford,
- “The Categories of Thought and Being”
- “Substance”