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Single Idea 19359

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 4. Later European Philosophy / b. Seventeenth century philosophy ]

Full Idea

Leibniz's philosophy largely serves to justify and enable a coherent empirical account of the world.

Gist of Idea

Leibniz aims to give coherent rational support for empiricism

Source

report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by Franklin Perkins - Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed 4.I

Book Ref

Perkins,Franklin: 'Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed' [Continuum 2007], p.120

A Reaction

A nice counter to the simplistic idea of Locke as empiricist and Leibniz as rationalist. Leibniz is explicit that science needs a separate 'metaphysics' to underpin it. Perkins says Locke constructs experience, and Leibniz analyses it.

The 6 ideas with the same theme [overview of philosophy from 1601 to 1700]:

7396 Hobbes created English-language philosophy [Hobbes, by Tuck]
19359 Leibniz aims to give coherent rational support for empiricism [Leibniz, by Perkins]
7454 Gassendi is the first great empiricist philosopher [Hacking]
2945 Most philosophers start with reality and then examine knowledge; Descartes put the study of knowledge first [Lehrer]
16610 Philosophy could easily have died in 17th century, if it weren't for Descartes [Pasnau]
16781 The 17th century is a metaphysical train wreck [Pasnau]