more on this theme | more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
To reduce the number of axioms is always something gained.
Gist of Idea
It is always good to reduce the number of axioms
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 4.06)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.407
A Reaction
This is rather revealing about the nature of axioms. They don't have any huge metaphysical status - in fact one might say that their status is epistemological, or even pedagogic. They enable us to get out minds round things.