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LeibnizandMonads
TheHumanSitua-onTeamOmega,Spring2010
Dr.CynthiaFreeland
Overview
• Leibniz’sLife• TheRiseofModernism
• Monadology1‐30
• AllaboutMonads
Leibniz1646‐1716
TheDuchessofOrleanssaidofhim:
“It'ssorareforintellectualstobesmartlydressed,andnottosmell,andtounderstandjokes.”
Acontemporarydescrip<onofLeibniz
“Leibnizwasamanofmediumheightwithastoop,broad‐shoulderedbutbandy‐legged,ascapableofthinkingforseveraldayssi>nginthesamechairasoftravellingtheroadsofEuropesummerandwinter.HewasanindefaBgableworker,auniversalleCerwriter(hehadmorethan600correspondents),apatriotandcosmopolitan,agreatscienBst,andoneofthemostpowerfulspiritsofWesterncivilisaBon.”
Go?riedWilhelmvonLeibniz“Awalkingencyclopedia”–KingGeorgeI
Monadology,1714
LeibnizthePolymath• Studiesinuniversity:Law,philosophy,La-n,Greek• Independent:algebra,mathema-cs,physics,dynamics,op-cs,triedtocreateasubmarine
• SecretaryofNurembergAlchemicalSociety• Lawsofmo-on,gravity,mechanics,dynamics,topology,geology,linguis-cs
• Poli-cs,interna-onalaffairs,economics,coinage,watches,lamps
• TraveledtoParis,London,Vienna,Italy,etc.• InventedInfinitesimalcalculus,createdanota-onforit d(xn)=nxn‐1dx
Leibniz’sCalcula-ngMachine
LeibnizandthePrince
• 1676‐1716,LibrariantotheDukeofHanover
• PrivycouncilortosuccessivemembersoftheHouseofBrunswickofHanover,andfriend/correspondent/teacherofsuccessiveprominentwomeninthefamily
• Librarianandfamilyhistorian• Inventedwindandwaterpowerformining
PrincessCarolineofBrandenburg‐Ansbach(1683‐1737)
Marriedin1705toGeorgAugust(1683‐1760),ElectoralPrinceofHanover,KingGeorgeIofEngland
QueenConsortofEnglandandIreland(1727‐1737)
GrandmotherofKingGeorgeIIIofEngland(1760‐1820)
FriendandPupilofLeibniz
TheRediscoveryoftheAncients
• Pythagoreanism:mathema<calexplana<ons• Atomism:materialism,determinism
• Skep<cism:resistancetoalldogmas
• Aristotle’sbiology:vitalism,teleology
BreakupofScholas<cismRiseofScience
• Copernicus1473‐1543 Astronomy• Galileo1564‐1642 Astronomy• Gassendi1592‐1655 Atomism,mechanism• Boyle1627‐1691 Physics,chemistry,
volumeofgas,vacuum• Newton1643‐1727Mechanics,gravity,calculus,
corpusculartheoryoflight• Huygens 1629‐1695 Astronomy,
telescopes,pendulum clocks,wavetheoryof
light
Earlymodernphilosophy
• FrancisBacon 1561‐1626• Hobbes 1588‐1679
• Descartes 15961650
• Locke 1632‐1704
IntroducingMonadsFromGreek“monas,monades”:unity,uni<es
(cp.“monochroma<c”,“monosyllable”)
Twokeypointstoremember(andreconcile…?)“TheMonadshavenowindowsthroughwhichanythingmaycomeinorgoout.”(7)
Eachmonadmirrorstheen<reuniverse.“Everybodyrespondstoallthathappensintheuniverse”(61)
Thesoulis“themirrorofanindestruc<bleuniverse”(77;seealso51,56,57,60)
•
Monads:BasicFacts• Simplesubstances:havenoparts(1)
• Elementsofallthings,enterintocomposites• Noextension,form,divisibility,(3),ordissolu<on(4)• Notcreatedbynaturalmeans(4)
• Nochangethroughanyothercreatedthing(7)• Uniqueanddis<nct(9)• Change,butonlyfromwithin(11),throughappe<te(15)
• Existenceandchangeinvolvepercep<ons(14)• Percep<onsinexplicablebymechanicalcauses(17)
Leonardo’sMirrorChamber
Leibniz’sAristotelianism
MonadsareEntelechies(haveaperfec<onorendinthemselves)18
CompareAristotle’sdefini-onofsoulinDeAnimaII,1:
“Soulmustbeasubstanceinthesenseoftheformofanaturalbodyhavinglifepoten-allyinit.”
“Soulisanactualityofthefirstkindofnaturalbodyhavinglifepoten-allyinit.”
Butwhatisamonad,really?
Stones
Treesandplants
Areallmonadssouls?
SeeMonadology19,24
Animals
Monadology25
HumanBeings
SeeMonadology28,29
LevelsofMonads
• BareMonads:percep-ons,“bigwiththefuture”,dynamic
• Souls:Monadswithheightenedpercep-on,sense‐organsandmemories(animals)
• Ra-onalSoulsorMinds:Monadswithknowledgeofeternalandnecessarytruths,abstrac-on,reflec-veacts,andscience(humans)
Aremonadssocrazy?
“Stringtheoryisatheoryofgravity,anextensionofGeneralRela-vity,andtheclassicalinterpreta-onofstringsandbranesisthattheyarequantummechanicalvibra-ng,extendedchargedblackholes.”
MoreonStringTheory
• Theoverarchingphysicalinsightbehindstringtheoryistheholographicprinciple,whichstatesthatthedescrip-onoftheoscilla-onsofthesurfaceofablackholemustalsodescribethespace-mearoundit.
• Holographydemandsthatalow‐dimensionaltheorydescribingthefluctua-onsofahorizonwillendupdescribingeverythingthatcanfallthrough,whichcanbeanythingatall.Soatheoryofablackholehorizonisatheoryofeverything.
StringTheoryLevelsofmagnifica-on:1.Macroscopiclevel‐
Mader2.Molecularlevel3.Atomiclevel‐Protons,neutrons,andelectrons4.Subatomiclevel‐
Electron5.Subatomiclevel‐Quarks6.Stringlevel
GodandtheBestofallPossibleWorlds
NextLecture
Monadology31‐69
DiscourseonMetaphysicsI‐VandXXXIV
JosiahMcElheney,Modernitycirca1952,MirroredandReflectedInfinitely,2004MilwaukeeMuseumofArt