Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Letters' and 'Specimen inventorum'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts

---

1 idea

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / k. Explanations by essence

12729	The cause of a change is not the real influence, but whatever gives a reason for the change [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: That thing from whose state a reason for the changes is most readily provided is adjudged to be the cause. ...Causes are not derived from a real influence, but from the providing of a reason.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Specimen inventorum [1689], A6.4.1620), quoted by Daniel Garber - Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad 5
	A reaction: Leibniz is not denying that there are real influences. He seems to be offering the thesis which I am pursuing, that the need for explanation is the crucial factor in shaping the structure of our metaphysics.