The Practice of Reason: Leibniz and his Controversies

The Practice of Reason......Page 2
Editorial page......Page 3
Title page......Page 4
LCC data......Page 5
Table of contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 12
Contributors......Page 14
1. Introduction......Page 18
2. “New Calculus” and “Combinatorial Game”......Page 19
3. The Leibnizian ‘paradox’......Page 24
4. The letter to Varignon......Page 25
5. The principle of continuity as a solution of the paradox......Page 27
6. The reception of the calculus......Page 29
7. Variations about the “principle”......Page 34
8. Architectonics?......Page 37
9. The principle of continuity and some of its consequences in current mathematics: The schema of “proof by continuity”......Page 40
10. The continuity schema and “mathematical intuition”......Page 42
Notes......Page 45
References......Page 47
2. Geometrization or mathematization......Page 50
1. Infinitesimal methods in Huygens’s works......Page 51
2. Huygens vs. Leibniz on the mathematization of physics......Page 54
3. Conclusions......Page 61
Notes......Page 63
References......Page 66
1. Introduction......Page 68
2. Descartes’s principle of conservation of quantity of motion......Page 70
3. Leibniz’s criticism of the Cartesian conservation principle......Page 72
4. Descartes’s mistake......Page 73
5. Leibniz’s positive view – suppressing mv......Page 74
6. Metaphysical reasons for preferring living force over “progress”......Page 75
7. Some speculations on Leibniz’s motives......Page 78
7.1 The case of Malebranch e......Page 80
8. Conclusion......Page 81
Notes......Page 82
References......Page 88
2. What kind of relation obtains between the public controversy and the correspondence?......Page 92
3.1 The stakes in the correspondence......Page 96
3.2 The objects of the public controversy reshaped by the correspondence......Page 98
3.3 The principles of conservation discussed in the correspondence:The status of “insensible matter”......Page 99
4. Leibniz attempts to bring Papin over to his dynamics......Page 101
5. The effects of the controversy on Leibniz’s thought......Page 105
Notes......Page 108
References......Page 116
1. Introduction......Page 118
2.1 Old and modern controversy concerning the concept of cause......Page 119
2.2 The artificial and the natural......Page 121
2.3 Anatomy and phy siology......Page 122
2.4 The model’s status: Reduction or analogy......Page 123
2.5 The touch stone for the passage from the machine to the living:The infinite......Page 125
2.6 Medical value of the heart’s and the body’s union theory......Page 127
2.8 Medicine and phy sics: Continuity or rupture?......Page 129
3.1 The element and the mixed......Page 132
3.2 The laws of the mix......Page 133
3.3 Is there continuity or rupture between the mixed and the living?......Page 135
4. Philosophy of nature......Page 136
4.1 Nature......Page 137
4.2 Natures......Page 139
Notes......Page 142
References......Page 149
1. Introduction......Page 154
2.1 Leibniz on reconciliation......Page 156
2.2 The mech anistic opp osition......Page 157
2.3 The optics case......Page 159
2.4 Expression, signs, and conciliation......Page 163
3. Integrating the opposites......Page 166
3.1 On what it takes to conciliate......Page 171
4. The metaphysical link......Page 176
5. A final note......Page 179
Notes......Page 180
References......Page 183
1. Introduction......Page 186
2. Lamy vs. Leibniz on incomplete entities and confused perception......Page 187
3. Leibniz and the controversy over the co-extension of soul and body in early modern Aristotelianism......Page 194
4. Incomplete entities and confused perception in Leibniz’s correspondence with Rémond......Page 199
Notes......Page 202
References......Page 203
1. Introduction......Page 204
2. The purpose of the SN and the differences between the different versions......Page 206
3. Leibniz’s argumentative strategies in the SN......Page 208
4. The contents of SN......Page 212
5. The prehistory of SN and the controversy with Foucher......Page 215
6. The SN and the correspondence between Leibniz and Foucher......Page 217
7. The public confrontation, or the controversy itself......Page 224
8. Leibniz’s text and Foucher’s reaction......Page 228
9. Leibniz’s answer......Page 230
10. Conclusion......Page 233
Notes......Page 235
References......Page 237
1. Introduction......Page 240
2. The safeties and privileges theory......Page 241
3. The problem to solve......Page 242
4. The way to resolve the problem......Page 247
Notes......Page 256
References......Page 260
1. Introduction......Page 262
Notes......Page 278
References......Page 287
1. The problem......Page 290
2. Impulses of an intra-Protestant reconciliation around 1697......Page 291
3. Jablonski’s Kurtze Vorstellung (1697)......Page 292
4. The position of Molanus......Page 295
5. Leibniz’s method......Page 299
Notes......Page 306
References......Page 311
1. Introduction......Page 314
2. The satanic stratagem......Page 316
3. Schism and innovation......Page 318
4. Innovators in philosophy and theology......Page 321
5. The method of the ignorant......Page 324
6. The method of moderation......Page 325
7. The golden rule I: The first test of generalization......Page 327
8. True love and prudence......Page 329
9. The golden rule II: The second test of generalization......Page 331
10. Conclusion......Page 332
Notes......Page 333
References......Page 334
13. Leibniz vs. Bossuet......Page 338
1. Controversy or negotiation?......Page 339
1.1 Negotiation: An “expedient”......Page 340
1.2 Controversy: The obstacl e......Page 345
2. The art of controversy......Page 350
2.1 From controversy to conversion......Page 351
2.2 The logic of controversy......Page 353
2.3 Controversy in matters of religion......Page 356
Notes......Page 360
References......Page 361
Name index......Page 362
Subject index......Page 366
The series Controversies......Page 377