Why God Thinks what He is Thinking? An Argument against Samuel Newlands’ Brute–Fact–Theory of Divine Ideas in Leibniz’s Metaphysics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2021.3301Keywords:
Leibniz, modality, ideas, rationalismAbstract
According to the most prominent principle of early modern rationalists, the Principle of Sufficient Reason [PSR], there are no brute facts, hence, there are no facts without any explanation. Contrary to the PSR, some philosophers have argued that divine ideas are brute facts within Leibniz’s metaphysics. In this paper, I argue against brute-fact-theories of divine ideas, especially represented by Samuel Newlands in Leibniz and the Ground of Possibility, and elaborate an alternative Leibnizian theory of divine ideas.
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Abbreviations
A Sämtliche Schriften und Briefe. Darmstadt and Berlin, Berlin Academy, 1923–. Cited by series, volume, and page.
AG Philosophical Essays, ed. and trans. by Roger Ariew and Daniel Garber, Hackett, Indianopolis 1989. Cited by page.
AT Oeuvres de Descartes, ed. by Ch. Adam and P. Tannery, Paris 1897–1913. Cited by volume and page.
C Opuscules et fragments inédits de Leibniz: Extraits des manuscrits de la bibliothèque royale de Hanovre, ed. by Couturat, Paris 1903; Hildesheim 1961. Cited by page.
DM Discours de métaphysique, ed. by Henri Lestienne, Paris 1975. Cited by paragraph.
F Nouvelles lettres et opuscules inédits de Leibniz, ed. by A. Foucher de Careil, Paris 1857. Cited by page.
GP Die philosophischen Schriften von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, ed. by C. I. Gerhardt, Berlin 1875–1890, reprint, Hildesheim 1965. Cited by volume and page.
L Philosophical Papers and Letters, ed. and trans. by Leroy E. Loemker, 2nd ed., Reidel, Dordrecht and Boston 1969. Cited by page.
M Monadology. Cited by paragraph from Principes de la nature et de la Grace and Principles de philosophie ou Monadologie, ed. by André Robinet, Paris 1954.
NE New Essays on Human Understanding, ed. by Jonathan Bennett/Peter Remnant, New York/Cambridge/London 1982. Cited by volume, chapter and paragraph.
P De Summa Rerum: Metaphysical Papers 1675–1676, ed. and trans. By G. H. R. Parkinson, Yale Univ. Press, New Haven/London, 1992. Cited by page.
