Single Idea 19326

[catalogued under 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 2. Divine Nature]

Full Idea

The cause of the world must be intelligent: for this existing world being contingent and an infinity of worlds being equally possible, with equal claim to existence, the cause of the world must have regarded all of these worlds to fix on one of them.

Gist of Idea

God must be intelligible, to select the actual world from the possibilities

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (The Theodicy [1710], p.127), quoted by Franklin Perkins - Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed 2.II

Book Reference

Perkins,Franklin: 'Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed' [Continuum 2007], p.21


A Reaction

A wonderfully Leibnizian way of putting what looks like the design argument.

Related Idea

Idea 19327 The intelligent cause must be unique and all-perfect, to handle all the interconnected possibilities [Leibniz]