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Order from Amazon (UK) Review by Adam Harmer, from The Leibniz Review (subscription required for access) Back to home page |
LEIBNIZ'S KEY PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS: A GUIDE
Published October 2020, by Oxford University Press. Co-edited with Paul Lodge From the back cover blurb: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) is one of the most important and influential philosophers of the modern period, offering a wealth of original ideas in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and philosophical theology, among them his signature doctrines such as substance and monads, pre-established harmony, and optimism. This volume contains introductory essays on eleven of Leibniz's key philosophical writings, covering youthful works ("Confessio philosophi", "De summa rerum"), seminal middle-period writings ("Discourse on Metaphysics", "New system"), to masterpieces of his maturity ("Monadology", "Discourse on the Natural Theology of the Chinese"), as well as his two main philosophical books (New Essays on Human Understanding, and Theodicy), and three of his most important philosophical correspondences, with Antoine Arnauld, Burcher De Volder, and Samuel Clarke. The essays, written by internationally-renowned experts on Leibniz, offer clear, accessible accounts of the ideas and arguments of these key writings, along with valuable information about their composition and context. By focusing on the primary texts, these essays enable readers to attain a solid understanding of what each text says and why, and give them the confidence to read the texts themselves. Offering a detailed and chronological view of Leibniz's philosophy and its development through some of his most important writings, this volume is an invaluable guide for those encountering Leibniz for the first time. Contents Acknowledgements List of contributors List of abbreviations Introduction: A Sketch of Leibniz's Life and Philosophical Works - Paul Lodge and Lloyd Strickland "Confessio philosophi" - Lucy Sheaf "De summa rerum" - Mogens Laerke "Discourse on Metaphysics" - Lloyd Strickland The Correspondence with Arnauld - Julia Jorati "New System of the Nature of Substances" - Julia Borcherding The Correspondence with De Volder - John Whipple New Essays on Human Understanding - Martha Brandt Bolton The Theodicy - Paul Lodge "The Monadology" - Lloyd Strickland "Discourse on the Natural Theology of the Chinese" - Daniel J. Cook The Correspondence with Clarke - Gregory Brown References Index |