History of Modern Philosophy response
ANSWER
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a philosopher known for his complex metaphysical system, which aimed to reconcile seemingly conflicting ideas, including the nature of perception and the existence of a purposeful universe. Let’s break down your questions and the passage you provided to better understand his perspective.
- Quotation from Free-Thinkers: In the passage you quoted, Leibniz is not directly quoting free-thinkers but is referring to a common viewpoint held by some free-thinkers. He is criticizing the idea that vision occurs merely because humans happen to have eyes (a more mechanistic or accidental view) and is contrasting it with his belief that the eyes were made for the purpose of seeing (an idea that aligns with the concept of design and purpose in the universe).
- Leibniz’s Argument Against Accidental Events: Leibniz’s philosophy is deeply rooted in the concept that nothing happens by accident; everything has a purpose or reason in the grand design of the universe. Therefore, he would indeed reject the idea that eyes see by mere accident, as it implies a lack of purpose or aim.
- Purpose and God’s Design: Leibniz’s philosophy often invokes the idea of God as the ultimate architect or designer of the universe. He believes that everything in the universe, including human organs like eyes, has a purpose or aim in God’s plan. This is his way of asserting that God does not act without purpose or aim, and everything in the universe is part of a divine design.
- Limitations of Human Understanding: Leibniz acknowledges that human beings may have difficulty comprehending the full scope of God’s purposes or aims due to our limited perspective. However, he believes that through careful and appropriate philosophical reasoning, we can gain insight into the order and harmony of the universe (the “pre-established harmony” you mentioned). He thinks that even seemingly chaotic events, like natural disasters, may have a purpose in the grand scheme of things, which can be understood through deeper philosophical contemplation.
- Reconciliation of Mechanism and Immaterialism: Leibniz’s efforts to reconcile the mechanistic and immaterial aspects of his philosophy stem from his desire to explain how the physical and non-physical realms coexist and interact. He proposed the concept of “pre-established harmony” to address this issue. In this view, everything in the universe, including the physical and mental, is pre-arranged by God to harmonize perfectly, so there is no direct causal interaction between them. This reconciliation allows him to maintain both a mechanistic explanation of the natural world and the idea that immaterial substances (like the mind or soul) are essential to the overall order of the universe.
In summary, Leibniz’s writings often revolve around the idea of a purposeful universe, designed by God, where even seemingly accidental events are part of a greater plan. His philosophy seeks to reconcile these ideas with the mechanics of the natural world and the limitations of human understanding.
QUESTION
Description
“I advise those who have any feelings of
piety, and indeed of true philosophy, to avoid saying—as do
certain self-proclaimed free-thinkers—that we see because
we happen to have eyes, but not that the eyes were made
for seeing. ”
It is unclear to me whether he is quoting entirely something from the free-thinkers or if he is distinguishing the latter statement from the former statement. “…that we see because we happen to have eyes” Leibniz argument that nothing happens by accident would contradict this because it implies the eyes have no aim, that they see for no other purpose then to see.
In the second part, “but not that the eyes were made for seeing” Leibniz indicates a purpose or what he refers to as an aim. [ultimate explanation] 19.
My understanding is that he is trying to refute any theory or philosophy that would assert that God would ever act without purpose or aim. Furthermore, that all that exist is not without purpose or aim according to God’s design.
Leibniz’s assertion limits man: ” I freely admit that we may
go wrong in trying to work out what God’s ends or purposes
are; but that happens only when we want to limit them to
some particular design, thinking he had only some single
thing in view, whereas in fact he takes account of everything
all at once.”
Here Leibniz indicates humans are incapable of knowing what these purposes or aims are due to our limitations. But then he asserts that these things can be rightly understood through thinking appropriately. E.g. the the tidal wave, under-sea earthquake, final cause to punish the wicked. 19. (pre-established harmony)
My one question? Why does Leibniz feel it is necessary to reconcile nature explanation mechanically with immaterialism?
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