Leibniz on Individuals & Individuation: The Persistence of Premodern Ideas in Modern Philosophy

This book achieves a number of scholarly `firsts': the first account of Leibniz's philosophy on individuals and the principle of individuation; the first exploration of Leibniz's earliest philosophy, its sources in later scholastic philosophy, and the influence of those sources on his mature philosophy; bringing together in one place numerous Latin scholastic and Leibnizian texts, with many translated into English. On the basis of a thorough study of Leibniz's earliest philosophy, a new interpretation of central themes in Leibniz's philosophy is offered. This scholarly investigation demonstrates the persistence of premodern ideas in modern philosophy, calling into question in what sense Leibniz is a `modern' philosopher and how the `modern' should be understood in modern philosophy and postmodernism. The intended audience includes historians of modern and later scholastic philosophy, Leibniz scholars, historians of ideas, philosophers with an interest in ontology and metaphysics, and graduate students in philosophy.

Part I: Leibniz' Earliest Philosophy. One: Introduction to Leibniz's Individuals and their Individuation. Two: Individuals and Individuation in the Disputatio. Three: The Principles of Individuation Leibniz Rejects in Disputatio. Four: The Position Leibniz Defends in the Disputatio. Part II: Leibniz's Mature Philosophy. Five: Individuals and Individuation in Leibniz's Mature Philosophy. Six: An Interpretation of Major Leibnizian Themes. Part III: Leibniz and Modern Philosophy. Seven: Leibniz and the `Modern' in Modern Philosophy. Index.