PHL210Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Polymath, Monadology, Sensorium
Document Summary
Have the same view of where knowledge come from. We can have knowledge that is certain through reason alone. Difference: descartes: we can have a kind of knowledge about the external world, know material bodies existed, we can be certain of the essence of material bodies. Material bodies are not real, result of aggregation of simple substances or monads. Metaphysics: leibniz first introduces idea of simple substance. Leibniz: noted for discovering calculus at the same time as newton. Was a lawyer, wrote lots of books on physics, did research on physics, was an engineer, polymath. Amidst practical knowledge, leibniz had a strange view of reality. Leibniz concerned with relation of god and the material world. Leibniz: science and math you can found empirical truth. Can"t get absolute truth in the empirical world. Need to look elsewhere for absolute truth. Leibniz"s idea: not scripture that provided certainty.
