The Philosophical Works of Leibnitz (Classic Reprint)

This translation of the more important pliilosophical works of Leibnitz furnishes much needed assistance to all teachers of philosophy and its history, in this country or in England. Until recently no collection, at once complete and trustworthy, of the writings of this great and versatile thinker has ever been made. The magnificent edition of Gerhardt has now rendered it possible for the translator to select, from all the recorded philosophical utterances of Leibnitz (including his voluminous and elaborate letters), those portions which will give the most satisfactory survey of his system of thinking. The selections of the present volume appear judicious ;they are sufficient to afford a tolerably comprehensive and circumstantial account of this system. It is not, however, to teachers of philosophy alone that I commend this volume. The interests and scholarship of Leibnitz were unexampled as respects range and variety. He was eminent in mathematics, physical science, languages, history, theology, philosophy, and belles-lettres. Even his more definitely philosophical writings are framed in accordance with this varied eminence. They therefore contain much which appeals to any person who is inclined at all to approach the problems of philosophy, from whatever point of view. Their style is free from certain characteristics which lovers of good literature often find repulsive in works of more definitely pedagogical, or systematic and technical, character. I ndeed, the principal tenets of Leibnitz are all to be discovered, at least in their inchoate form, in his interesting and instructive letters to various notable persons of his day. It has not been possible for me to compare any considerable portion of this translation with the original. But my confidence in Mr. Duncan scompetence and accuracy of scholarship is so great that I have no doubt of its excellence. I
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)