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Ideas for 'works', 'Letters to Des Bosses' and 'works'

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5 ideas

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason
16897 Reason is the faculty for grasping apriori necessary truths [Leibniz, by Burge]
     Full Idea: Leibniz actually characterises reason as the faculty for apprehending priori, necessary truths.
     From: report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by Tyler Burge - Frege on Apriority (with ps) 2
     A reaction: No wonder it is called the Age of Reason when the claims are this grandiose.
2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 4. Aims of Reason
3346 For Leibniz rationality is based on non-contradiction and the principle of sufficient reason [Leibniz, by Benardete,JA]
     Full Idea: Leibniz distinguished two fundamental principles of rationality - the principle of non-contradiction and the principle of sufficient reason.
     From: report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by José A. Benardete - Metaphysics: the logical approach Ch.18
2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 2. Sufficient Reason
3347 Leibniz said the principle of sufficient reason is synthetic a priori, since its denial is not illogical [Leibniz, by Benardete,JA]
     Full Idea: Leibniz assigns synthetic a priori status to the principle of sufficient reason, readily conceding that one can deny it without fear of inconsistency.
     From: report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by José A. Benardete - Metaphysics: the logical approach Ch.18
2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic
23891 Two contradictories force us to find a relation which will correlate them [Plato, by Weil]
     Full Idea: Where contradictions appear there is a correlation of contraries, which is relation. If a contradiction is imposed on the intelligence, it is forced to think of a relation to transform the contradiction into a correlation, which draws the soul higher.
     From: report of Plato (works [c.375 BCE]) by Simone Weil - God in Plato p.70
     A reaction: A much better account of the dialectic than anything I have yet seen in Hegel. For the first time I see some sense in it. A contradiction is not a falsehood, and it must be addressed rather than side-stepped. A kink in the system, that needs ironing.
2. Reason / E. Argument / 6. Conclusive Proof
8627 Leibniz is inclined to regard all truths as provable [Leibniz, by Frege]
     Full Idea: Leibniz has an inclination to regard all truths as provable.
     From: report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by Gottlob Frege - Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) §15
     A reaction: Leibniz sounds like the epitome of Enlightenment optimism about the powers of reason. Could God prove every truth? It's a nice thought.