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Single Idea 5048

[filed under theme 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 3. Divine Perfections ]

Full Idea

Perfection is simply quantity of reality.

Gist of Idea

Perfection is simply quantity of reality

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (A Résumé of Metaphysics [1697], §11)

Book Ref

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Philosophical Writings', ed/tr. Parkinson,G.H.R. [Dent 1973], p.146


A Reaction

An interesting claim, but totally beyond my personal comprehension. I presume he inherited 'quantity of reality' from Plato, e.g. as you move up the Line from shadows to Forms you increase the degree of reality. I see 'real' as all-or-nothing.


The 21 ideas with the same theme [existence of good qualities in their purest form]:

Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord [Jeremiah]
God knows everything, and nothing is impossible for him [Epicharmus]
The mind of God is fully satisfied and happy with a vision of reality and truth [Plato]
Gods are not lovers of wisdom, because they are already wise [Plato]
Stoics say that God the creator is the perfection of all animals [Chrysippus, by Diog. Laertius]
The Divine must lack the virtues of continence and fortitude, because they are not needed [Sext.Empiricus]
Nine principles of God: goodness, greatness, eternity, power, wisdom, will, virtue, truth and glory [Lull, by Arthur,R]
It is heresy to teach that natural impossibilities cannot even be achieved by God [Anon (Par)]
God is not wise, but more-than-wise; God is not good, but more-than-good [William of Ockham]
It is self-evident that deception is a natural defect, so God could not be a deceiver [Descartes]
God no more has human perfections than we have animal perfections [Spinoza]
God is a being with infinite attributes, each of them infinite or perfect [Spinoza]
If a perfect being does not rule the cosmos, it is not God [Newton]
God does everything in a perfect way, and never acts contrary to reason [Leibniz]
This is the most perfect possible universe, in its combination of variety with order [Leibniz]
The universe contains everything possible for its perfect harmony [Leibniz]
A perfection is a simple quality, which is positive and absolute, and has no limit [Leibniz]
Perfection is simply quantity of reality [Leibniz]
The intelligent cause must be unique and all-perfect, to handle all the interconnected possibilities [Leibniz]
We can't assume God's perfections are like our ideas or like human attributes [Hume]
If there is a 'greatest knower', it doesn't follow that they know absolutely everything [James]