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Full Idea
In place of Descartes's conservation of 'quantity of motion', Leibniz upheld both the conservation of linear momentum and the conservation of kinetic energy.
Gist of Idea
Leibniz upheld conservations of momentum and energy
Source
report of Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Samuel Clarke [1716], 5th paper) by David Papineau - Thinking about Consciousness App 2
Book Ref
Papineau,David: 'Thinking about Consciousness' [OUP 2004], p.235
A Reaction
The point is that momentum involves velocity (which includes direction) rather than speed. Leibniz more or less invented the concept of 'energy' ('vis viva'). Papineau says these two leave no room for causation by mental substance.
Related Idea
Idea 20964 Descartes said there was conservation of 'quantity of motion' [Descartes, by Papineau]
| 20969 | Early Newtonians could not formulate conservation of energy, having no concept of potential energy [Newton, by Papineau] |
| 20965 | Leibniz upheld conservations of momentum and energy [Leibniz, by Papineau] |
| 20973 | All forces conserve the sum of kinetic and potential energy [Helmholtz, by Papineau] |
| 20623 | First Law: energy can change form, but is conserved overall [Close] |
| 20975 | Quantum 'wave collapses' seem to violate conservation of energy [Papineau] |
| 21211 | If an expected reaction does not occur, that implies a conservation law [Martin,BR] |