Full Idea
The designation of degrees of conscious awareness is one of Leibniz's most significant innovations, and it is fundamental to almost every aspect of his account of monads.
Gist of Idea
Leibniz introduced the idea of degrees of consciousness, essential for his monads
Source
report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by Franklin Perkins - Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed 4.I
Book Reference
Perkins,Franklin: 'Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed' [Continuum 2007], p.110
A Reaction
A very important development, which seems to have been ignored by philosophers for three hundred years, since they usually treat consciousness as all-or-nothing. Introspection makes degrees obvious, and I suspect sparrows are down the scale.