Ideas from 'The Nature and Communication of Substance' by Gottfried Leibniz [1690], by Theme Structure

[found in 'The Philosophy of Mind' (ed/tr Beakley,B /Ludlow P) [MIT 1992,0-262-52167-9]].

green numbers give full details    |     back to texts     |     unexpand these ideas


17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 5. Parallelism
Maybe mind and body are parallel, like two good clocks
                        Full Idea: Two clocks in perfect agreement must be by natural influence, or the control of a craftsman, or their perfect construction at the beginning. Only the third way (of "preestablished harmony" by God) is possible.
                        From: Gottfried Leibniz (The Nature and Communication of Substance [1690], p.121)
                        A reaction: Presumably 'natural influence' would cover the possibility that (unnoticed by you, apparently) one clock is attached to the other clock at the relevant points. If they are unconnected, presumably they are quite unaware of one another's existence.
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / b. Teleological Proof
If the universe is a perfect agreement of uncommunicating substances, there must be a common source
                        Full Idea: The perfect agreement of so many substances which have no communication whatever with each other can only come from a common source.
                        From: Gottfried Leibniz (The Nature and Communication of Substance [1690], p.120)