back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 13098

[from 'New Essays on Human Understanding' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 5. Individuation / c. Individuation by location ]

Full Idea

It is by means of things that we must distinguish one time and place from another, rather than vice versa.

Gist of Idea

We use things to distinguish places and times, not vice versa

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 2.27)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.230


A Reaction

This rests on Leibniz's relative view of space (as opposed to Newton's absolute view). If you need to re-identify a thing to individuate it, re-identifying the exact place or time seems impossible, but it is usually manageable with thing.

Related Idea

Idea 12506 A thing is individuated just by existing at a time and place [Locke]