more from Gottfried Leibniz

Single Idea 13082

[catalogued under 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 7. Essence and Necessity / b. Essence not necessities]

Full Idea

In this complete concept of possible Peter are contained not only essential or necessary things, ..but also existential things, or contingent items included there, because the nature of an individual substance is to have a perfect or complete concept.

Gist of Idea

The complete concept of an individual includes contingent properties, as well as necessary ones

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (Of liberty, Fate and God's grace [1690], Grua 311), quoted by Cover,J/O'Leary-Hawthorne,J - Substance and Individuation in Leibniz 3.3.1

Book Reference

Cover,J/O'Leary-Hawthorne,J: 'Substance and Individuation in Leibniz' [CUP 1999], p.126


A Reaction

Compare Idea 13077, where he seems to say that the complete concept is only necessarily linked to properties which will predict future events - though I suppose that would have to include all of the contingent properties mentioned here.

Related Ideas

Idea 13077 Basic predicates give the complete concept, which then predicts all of the actions [Leibniz]

Idea 13083 The essence is the necessary properties, and the concept includes what is contingent [Leibniz]