Single Idea 13089

[catalogued under 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / k. Explanations by essence]

Full Idea

Even in the most contingent truths, there is always something to be conceived in the subject which serves to explain why this predicate or event pertains to it, or why this has happened rather than not.

Gist of Idea

To fully conceive the subject is to explain the resulting predicates and events

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Antoine Arnauld [1686], 1686.06)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'The Leibniz-Arnauld Correspondence', ed/tr. Mason,HT/Parkinson,GHR [Manchester UP 1967], p.50


A Reaction

The last bit, about containing what has happened, seems absurd, but the rest of it makes sense. It is just the Aristotelian essentialist view, that a full understanding of the inner subject will both explain and predict the surface properties.

Related Idea

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