Substance and Individuation in Leibniz

A sustained re-evaluation of the most central and perplexing themes of Leibniz's metaphysics.

J. A. Cover (Author), John O'Leary-Hawthorne (Author)

9780521073035, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 4 September 2008

320 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.47 kg

Review of the hardback: 'J. A. Cover and John Hawthorne have written an important, and exciting, book … it is a stunning vindication of the value that 'philosophical' history of philosophy can have.' Mind

This book offers a sustained re-evaluation of the most central and perplexing themes of Leibniz's metaphysics. In contrast to traditional assessments that view the metaphysics in terms of its place among post-Cartesian theories of the world, Jan Cover and John O'Leary-Hawthorne examine the question of how the scholastic themes which were Leibniz's inheritance figure - and are refigured - in his mature account of substance and individuation. From this emerges a sometimes surprising assessment of Leibniz's views on modality, the Identity of Indiscernibles, form as an internal law, and the complete-concept doctrine. As a rigorous philosophical treatment of a still-influential mediary between scholastic and modern metaphysics, this study will be of interest to historians of philosophy and contemporary metaphysicians alike.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Leibniz and the problem of individuation: the historical and philosophical context
2. Relations
3. Essentialism
4. Haecceitism and anti-haecceitism
5. Sufficient reason and the identity of Indiscernibles
6. Law-of-the-series, identity and change
7. The threat of one substance
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology [HPJ]