LeibnizandMonads

TheHumanSitua-onTeamOmega,Spring2010

Dr.CynthiaFreeland

Overview

•  Leibniz’sLife•  TheRiseofModernism

•  Monadology1‐30

•  AllaboutMonads

Leibniz1646‐1716

TheDuchessofOrleanssaidofhim:

“It'ssorareforintellectualstobesmartlydressed,andnottosmell,andtounderstandjokes.”

Acontemporarydescrip<onofLeibniz

“Leibnizwasamanofmediumheightwithastoop,broad‐shoulderedbutbandy‐legged,ascapableofthinkingforseveraldayssi>nginthesamechairasoftravellingtheroadsofEuropesummerandwinter.HewasanindefaBgableworker,auniversalleCerwriter(hehadmorethan600correspondents),apatriotandcosmopolitan,agreatscienBst,andoneofthemostpowerfulspiritsofWesterncivilisaBon.”

Go?riedWilhelmvonLeibniz“Awalkingencyclopedia”–KingGeorgeI

Monadology,1714

LeibnizthePolymath•  Studiesinuniversity:Law,philosophy,La-n,Greek•  Independent:algebra,mathema-cs,physics,dynamics,op-cs,triedtocreateasubmarine

•  SecretaryofNurembergAlchemicalSociety•  Lawsofmo-on,gravity,mechanics,dynamics,topology,geology,linguis-cs

•  Poli-cs,interna-onalaffairs,economics,coinage,watches,lamps

•  TraveledtoParis,London,Vienna,Italy,etc.•  InventedInfinitesimalcalculus,createdanota-onforit d(xn)=nxn‐1dx

Leibniz’sCalcula-ngMachine

LeibnizandthePrince

•  1676‐1716,LibrariantotheDukeofHanover

•  PrivycouncilortosuccessivemembersoftheHouseofBrunswickofHanover,andfriend/correspondent/teacherofsuccessiveprominentwomeninthefamily

•  Librarianandfamilyhistorian•  Inventedwindandwaterpowerformining

PrincessCarolineofBrandenburg‐Ansbach(1683‐1737)

Marriedin1705toGeorgAugust(1683‐1760),ElectoralPrinceofHanover,KingGeorgeIofEngland

QueenConsortofEnglandandIreland(1727‐1737)

GrandmotherofKingGeorgeIIIofEngland(1760‐1820)

FriendandPupilofLeibniz

TheRediscoveryoftheAncients

•  Pythagoreanism:mathema<calexplana<ons•  Atomism:materialism,determinism

•  Skep<cism:resistancetoalldogmas

•  Aristotle’sbiology:vitalism,teleology

BreakupofScholas<cismRiseofScience

•  Copernicus1473‐1543 Astronomy•  Galileo1564‐1642 Astronomy•  Gassendi1592‐1655 Atomism,mechanism•  Boyle1627‐1691 Physics,chemistry,

volumeofgas,vacuum•  Newton1643‐1727Mechanics,gravity,calculus,

corpusculartheoryoflight•  Huygens 1629‐1695 Astronomy,

telescopes,pendulum clocks,wavetheoryof

light

Earlymodernphilosophy

•  FrancisBacon 1561‐1626•  Hobbes 1588‐1679

•  Descartes 15961650

•  Locke 1632‐1704

IntroducingMonadsFromGreek“monas,monades”:unity,uni<es

(cp.“monochroma<c”,“monosyllable”)

Twokeypointstoremember(andreconcile…?)“TheMonadshavenowindowsthroughwhichanythingmaycomeinorgoout.”(7)

Eachmonadmirrorstheen<reuniverse.“Everybodyrespondstoallthathappensintheuniverse”(61)

Thesoulis“themirrorofanindestruc<bleuniverse”(77;seealso51,56,57,60)

• 

Monads:BasicFacts•  Simplesubstances:havenoparts(1)

•  Elementsofallthings,enterintocomposites•  Noextension,form,divisibility,(3),ordissolu<on(4)•  Notcreatedbynaturalmeans(4)

•  Nochangethroughanyothercreatedthing(7)•  Uniqueanddis<nct(9)•  Change,butonlyfromwithin(11),throughappe<te(15)

•  Existenceandchangeinvolvepercep<ons(14)•  Percep<onsinexplicablebymechanicalcauses(17)

Leonardo’sMirrorChamber

Leibniz’sAristotelianism

MonadsareEntelechies(haveaperfec<onorendinthemselves)18

CompareAristotle’sdefini-onofsoulinDeAnimaII,1:

“Soulmustbeasubstanceinthesenseoftheformofanaturalbodyhavinglifepoten-allyinit.”

“Soulisanactualityofthefirstkindofnaturalbodyhavinglifepoten-allyinit.”

Butwhatisamonad,really?

Stones

Treesandplants

Areallmonadssouls?

SeeMonadology19,24

Animals

Monadology25

HumanBeings

SeeMonadology28,29

LevelsofMonads

•  BareMonads:percep-ons,“bigwiththefuture”,dynamic

•  Souls:Monadswithheightenedpercep-on,sense‐organsandmemories(animals)

•  Ra-onalSoulsorMinds:Monadswithknowledgeofeternalandnecessarytruths,abstrac-on,reflec-veacts,andscience(humans)

Aremonadssocrazy?

“Stringtheoryisatheoryofgravity,anextensionofGeneralRela-vity,andtheclassicalinterpreta-onofstringsandbranesisthattheyarequantummechanicalvibra-ng,extendedchargedblackholes.”

MoreonStringTheory

•  Theoverarchingphysicalinsightbehindstringtheoryistheholographicprinciple,whichstatesthatthedescrip-onoftheoscilla-onsofthesurfaceofablackholemustalsodescribethespace-mearoundit.

•  Holographydemandsthatalow‐dimensionaltheorydescribingthefluctua-onsofahorizonwillendupdescribingeverythingthatcanfallthrough,whichcanbeanythingatall.Soatheoryofablackholehorizonisatheoryofeverything.

StringTheoryLevelsofmagnifica-on:1.Macroscopiclevel‐

Mader2.Molecularlevel3.Atomiclevel‐Protons,neutrons,andelectrons4.Subatomiclevel‐

Electron5.Subatomiclevel‐Quarks6.Stringlevel

GodandtheBestofallPossibleWorlds

NextLecture

Monadology31‐69

DiscourseonMetaphysicsI‐VandXXXIV

JosiahMcElheney,Modernitycirca1952,MirroredandReflectedInfinitely,2004MilwaukeeMuseumofArt