Transcript Document

The Rationalists: Leibniz
Rationalism and Theodicy
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Introduction
2. Rationalism
3. Theodicy
4. Conclusion
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Introduction:
Leibniz, Life and Works
Life:
- 1646 – 1716 – Lutheran educated elite
- The last universal genius
- Education: Scholastics
- Late discovery of new philosophy (when diplomat)
- Rest of his life: Hanover – historian
Works:
- Theodicy, New Essays
- Discourse on Metaphysics, Monadology
Extremely prolific writer and Changing
philosophy
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Introduction:
Basics Orientations
Philosophy of the Middle Ground:
- Between the new science and the Scholastic Tradition
- Between Rationalism and Empiricism
Theodicy:
- Take seriously the idea of God’s being all perfect
- Explain that the world we live is is the most perfect
The Best Possible World:
- Infinity of Possible Worlds – One actual world
- Principle of Sufficient Reason
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Introduction
2. Rationalism
3. Theodicy
4. Conclusion
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Rationalism (1)
Senses and Reason
Men act like animals in three quarters of their action:
-Sense perception, memory and induction
 For and Against the Empiricist
Eternal Truths:
- Known by the mind only
- Superior kind of knowledge: universal, necessary and
eternal
Senses and Reason
- Senses are not sufficient but are necessary triggers!
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Rationalism (2)
Eternal Truths
Truths of Reasoning
Truths of Facts
Necessary
Contingent
Analytic
Non-Analytic
`All bachelors are non married’
`Andrew is not married’
Principle of Contradiction
Principle of Sufficient Reason
Truths of facts, Contingency and Sufficient Reasons
Contingency exists, but not chance
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Rationalism (3)
Conclusion
Taking the empiricist challenge seriously
- Senses may well be necessary for us to learn about eternal
truths, but not sufficient
Taking the necessitarian challenge seriously
- Not everything is necessary, but everything has a cause
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Introduction
2. Rationalism
3. Theodicy
4. Conclusion
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Theodicy (1)
God’s Existence
Proofs of God’s existence
- Cosmological Argument 1: cause of contingent actualities
- Cosmological Argument 2: cause of all possibles / essences
- Ontological Argument: God as a necessary being, i.e. a
being whose mere possibility implies its actuality
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Theodicy (2)
God’s Nature
Most importantly: God is all perfections
Unique, unlimited, and contains all the possibles
Theodicy, Par 7:
- Understanding (all possibles)
- Will (chose which are actual)
- Power (made it actual)
- Infinite Understanding, Will and Power
- Unique
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Theodicy (3)
God’s Benevolence
A perfect God must have created a perfect world
Including morally perfect
How to make sense of this?
God follows the truth and the good
- Opposite view: God decides on everything – truth and
good included
- Leibniz: arbitrariness and lack of value of the Creation /
Creator
 True Freedom is enlightened even for God
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Theodicy (4)
The Creation’s Perfection
We must commit to the belief that the Creation is most
perfect
How to make sense of this?
- Not everything is wonderful!
- Perfection: the best balance between simplicity of causes
and complexity of effects
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Introduction
2. Rationalism
3. Theodicy
4. Conclusion
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Conclusion on Leibniz’ God
One crucial starting point: God is all perfection
An original point of view: the modal point of view
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Montana
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