Leibniz on Causation and Agency

A fresh and thorough exploration of Leibniz's often controversial theories, including his thought on teleology, contingency, freedom, and moral responsibility.

Julia Jorati (Author)

9781107192676, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 July 2017

236 pages, 3 tables
23.5 x 15.6 x 1.7 cm, 0.46 kg

'Leibniz on Causation and Agency provides insightful treatment of overlooked aspects of Leibniz's philosophy that ought to change the way we interpret his thought.' Joseph Anderson, Journal of the History of Philosophy

This book presents a comprehensive examination of Gottfried Leibniz's views on the nature of agents and their actions. Julia Jorati offers a fresh look at controversial topics including Leibniz's doctrines of teleology, the causation of spontaneous changes within substances, divine concurrence, freedom, and contingency, and also discusses widely neglected issues such as his theories of moral responsibility, control, attributability, and compulsion. Rather than focusing exclusively on human agency, she explores the activities of non-rational substances and the differences between distinctive types of actions, showing how the will, appetitions, and teleology are key to Leibniz's discussions of agency. Her book reveals that Leibniz has a nuanced and compelling philosophy of action which has relevance for present-day discussions of agency. It will be of interest to scholars and students of early modern philosophy as well as to metaphysicians and philosophers of action.

Introduction
1. Monads and their actions
2. Spontaneity
3. Teleology
4. Attributability and divine concurrence
5. Freedom
6. Control, weakness, and compulsion
7. Moral agency.

Subject Areas: Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge [HPK], Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology [HPJ], Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900 [HPCD]