THE LEIBNIZ-CLARKE CORRESPONDENCE LEI/001
21.02.00
General Reading
Alexander, H G (ed)The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence
(Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1956)
Broad, C DLeibniz: An Introduction
(Cambridge University Press, 1975
Koyre, AFrom the Closed World of the Infinite Universe
(Baltimore: John Hopkins Press, 1956).
Ch 11 and 12. Reprinted as "Leibniz and Newton" in Leibniz (New York: Anchor Books), ed. H G Frankfurt
Ray, CTime, Space and Philosophy
(Routledge, 1991)
Russell, BA Critical Exposition of the Philosophy of Leibniz (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1937)
Smith, Q & Oaklander, L NTime, Change and Freedom (Routledge 1995)
Swinburne, RSpace and Time
(London: Macmillan, 1968)
Vailati, E.Leibniz & Clarke (OUP, 1997)
van Fraassen, B CAn Introduction to the Philosophy of Time and Space
(New York: Random House, 1970)
(Readings marked ”A” are more advanced and should be read only after the other material has been read).
1.Relational Theory of Time
A Forbes, G
"Time, Events and Modality" in The Philosophy of Time (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), eds. R Le Poidevin and M MacBeath
Hooker, C A"The Relational Doctrines of Time and Space"
Br.J.Phil.Sc. (1971)
Shoemaker, S"Time Without Change"
J.Phil. LXVI (1969)
Vailati, E.Leibniz & Clarke Ch. 4
van Fraassen, B CCh. 2 (sect. 1, 2), Ch. 3 (sect. 1, 2)
"Time does only co-exist with creatures, and is only conceived by the order and quantity of their changes (LEIBNIZ)". Discuss.
2.The notion of Absolute Space
Arthur, M"Space and Relativity in Newton and Leibniz"
Br.J.Phil.Sc. 45 (1994), pp 219-240
Barbour, JAbsolute or Relative Motion? Vol I, 11.4-11.6, (Cambridge University Press, 1989)
Brown, J RThe Laboratory of the Mind (Routledge, 1991), Ch. 1,2
Burtt, E AThe Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science
(London: Routledge and Kegan Tayle, 1924), Ch. 7
Lacey, H M"The Scientific Intelligibility of Absolute Space"
Br.J.Phil.Sc. (1970), pp 317-342
A Maudlin, T“Buckets of Water and Waves of Spaces: Why Spacetime
is Probably a Substance” Br.J.Phil.Sc. 60 (1993), pp183-203
Nagel, EThe Structure of Science
(London: Routledge and Kegan Payl, 1961). Ch. 8 (part 1)
Ray, CCh. 5, 6
A Sklar, LSpace, Time and Spacetime
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974), Ch. 3 (sect. A,B,C)
Swinburne, RCh. 3
A Teller, P"Substance, Relations and Arguments about the Nature of Space-Time" Phil.Review 100 (1991) pp 363-398
Vailati, E.Leibniz & Clarke Ch. 4
Distinguish between absolutist and relativist conceptions of space. Is the assertion that space is absolute (a)meaningless (b)meaningfull but not supported by the evidence (c)neither?
Did Newton have good reasons to believe in absolute space?
3.The Identity of Indiscernibles
Ayer, A J"Names and descriptions" in his The Concept of a Person, and "The identity of indiscernibles" in his Philosophical Essays
Black, M"The identity of indiscernibles"
Mind, 1952
Broad, C DCh. 2
Dummett, MFrege, Ch. 16, esp. pp 543-4
Hacking, I"The identity of indiscernibles"
J.Phil. (1975), pp 249-55
Pears, D"The identity of indiscernibles"
Mind, 1955
Strawson, P FIndividuals, Part 1, Ch. 4
"If whatever is true of A is true of B, and vice-versa, then A is identical with B". Discuss.
4.The Principle of Sufficient Reason
Barbour, J“Relational concepts of space and time”, Br.J.Phil.Sc. 33,(1982)
Broad, C DCh. 2
Russel, BThe Philosophy of Leibniz
(London: George Allen and Unwin, 1964), esp. Chp 3
Parkinson, G H L“Philosophy and Logic” Cambridge Companion to Leibniz
ed. N Jolly (1995)
What is Leibniz's principle of sufficient reason? What use does Leibniz make of it? Are there any good reasons for adopting the principle in some form or other?
5.Kinds of Necessity and Kinds of Liberty
Brown, SLeibniz, Ch. 9
LeibnizDiscourse on Metaphysics, Ch. 13
Mates, BThe Philosophy of Leibniz, Ch. 4,5 and 6
Vailati, E.Leibniz & Clarke Ch. 3
"To say that God can only choose what is best is effectively to deny him freedom of choice". Can Leibniz meet this objection?
Suppose that God has chosen that "free creatures should take such and such resolutions". Has he thereby made them not free?"
6.Leibniz Physics
Broad, C DCh. 3
Buchdahl, GMetaphysics and the Philosophy of Science, Ch. III “Leibniz: Science and Metaphysics”
Costabel, P.Leibniz and Dynamics (Methaen 1973)
Garber, D“Leibniz; physics and philosophy” in The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz (CUP 1995), ed. N Jolley
Papineau, D inLeibniz: Metaphysics and Philosophy of Science, Ch. 9
Woolhouse, R S (ed)
Russell, BCh. 7
Vailati, E.Leibniz & Clarke Ch. 6
“....the attraction of bodies, property so called, is a miraculous thing, since it cannot be explained by the nature of bodies” (Leibniz). DISCUSS
7. Leibniz’ Metaphysics
Leibniz’Discourse on Metaphysics
Monology
A Adams, R.M.Leibniz (OUP, 1994)
Ishiguro, H.Leibniz’s Philosophy of Logic and Language (CUP, 1990)
Mates, B.The Philosophy of Leibniz (OUP, 1986)
Parkinson, G.H.RLogic and Reality in Leibniz’s Metaphysics (OUP, 1965)
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