Brandon C. Look - Böcker

The contributions to this Handbook serve as a collective rebuttal of the widespread sentiment that there is little of interest in 18th-century German philosophy between Leibniz and Kant. In its chapters, the reader will naturally find new insights into the Kantian philosophy and its context, particularly on the topics of philosophical method, metaphysics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of mathematics. More than this, however, the reader will be introduced to aspects of eighteenth-century German philosophy that do not cohere to, and even challenge, the Kantian historical narrative. A number of chapters, for instance, reveal the profound inadequacy of the division of thinkers in this period into camps of “rationalists” and “empiricists” by documenting the innovative methodologies, the variations within each philosophical tradition and school, and the enduring appeal of philosophical eclecticism. Other chapters take issue with the notion that there was but a single Enlightenment, with Kant as its figurehead, contending in addition for a religious Enlightenment (particularly through the Pietist movement) and tracing the distinctive intellectual contours of the Jewish Enlightenment. Still other chapters document the important contributions of women in the period, particularly to aesthetics and to the philosophy of education, in addition to accounting for their continued absence from the influential histories of philosophy produced in Germany in the latter half of the century. There is, accordingly, a great deal to interest us in German philosophy in the eighteenth century after Leibniz and apart from Kant.

Although it is common to see Kant's philosophy as at its core a reaction to (and partial rejection of) the dogmatism and rationalism of Leibniz, Wolff, and their followers, it is surprising how little detailed and critical study there has been of the relation between Leibniz and Kant. How did Kant understand Leibniz's philosophy? Did he correctly understand Leibniz's philosophy? Since only a portion of Leibniz's philosophical writings were published prior to Kant's critical period, is there a “true Leibniz” that Kant did not know? Are all of Kant's criticisms of Leibniz in particular and Leibnizian rationalism in general justified? Or does Leibniz have an answer to Kant's philosophy? Moreover, how should we understand the reception of Leibniz's philosophy in 18th-century Enlightenment Germany?Leibniz and Kant seeks to examine the relation between Leibniz and Kant by collecting essays written by some of the leading scholars of the history of modern philosophy, all of whom have in common a deep knowledge of both philosophers. This anthology further aims to create a dialogue between scholars of early modern philosophy and Kantians and to fill a lacuna in historical and philosophical scholarship. The essays contained here address fundamental questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophical theology in Leibniz and Kant and address Kant's understanding and interpretation of his philosophical predecessor.

This volume is a critical edition of the ten-year correspondence (1706-1716) between Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, one of Europe’s most influential early modern thinkers, and Bartholomew Des Bosses, a Jesuit theologian who was keen to bring together Leibniz’s philosophy and the Aristotelian philosophy and religious doctrines accepted by his order. The letters offer crucial insights into Leibniz’s final metaphysics and into the intellectual life of the eighteenth century.Brandon C. Look and Donald Rutherford present seventy-one of Leibniz’s and Des Bosses’s letters in the original Latin and in careful English translation. Few of the letters have been translated into English before. The editors also provide extensive annotations, deletions, and marginalia from Leibniz’s various drafts, and a substantial introduction setting the context for the correspondence and analyzing the main philosophical issues.

With entries written by leading scholars in the field of Modern Philosophy, this is a complete one-volume reference guide to Leibniz's life, thought and work. G.W.F. Leibniz (1646-1716) was one of the great polymaths of the modern world. As well as being among the greatest Rationalist metaphysicians of the post-medieval age, he built the first mechanical calculator capable of multiplication and division, and developed the binary, base-two system. As a physicist, he made advances in mechanics, coining the term 'kinetic energy'. As a mathematician, Leibniz invented calculus independently of Newton, and it is his notation, not Newton's, which is used to this day. Perhaps best known for the atomic concept of the monad, Leibniz also made outstanding contributions to symbolic logic, aesthetics, history, linguistics, and political theory. With entries written by leading scholars in the field of Modern Philosophy, this Companion is an accessible and authoritative reference guide to Leibniz's life, work and. The book includes extended biographical sketches, a time line and an up-to-date annotated bibliography.Gathering all these resources, this book will be an extremely valuable tool for those interested in Leibniz and the era in which he wrote. "The Continuum Companions" series is a major series of single volume companions to key research fields in the humanities aimed at postgraduate students, scholars and libraries. Each companion offers a comprehensive reference resource giving an overview of key topics, research areas, new directions and a manageable guide to beginning or developing research in the field. A distinctive feature of the series is that each companion provides practical guidance on advanced study and research in the field, including research methods and subject-specific resources.