A critical exposition of the philosophy of Leibniz : with an appendix of leading passages

This book provides the original text of A Critical Exposition of the Philosophy of Leibniz, which was first published in 1900. An example of Russell's early thought, the work took particular inspiration from the letters to Arnauld and the Discours de Metaphysique in developing a comprehensive theory of Leibniz's system. The text of the first edition is provided in its entirety, including an appendix containing extracts from Leibniz, classified according to subject. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Leibniz and the early philosophy of Russell.

• 1. Leibniz's premisses
• 2. Necessary propositions and the law of contradiction
• 3. Contingent propositions and the law of sufficient reason
• 4. The conception of substance
• 5. The identity of indiscernibles and the law of continuity. Possibility and compossibility
• 6. Why did Leibniz believe in an external world?
• 7. The philosophy of matter: (a) as the outcome of the principles of dynamics
• 8. The philosophy of matter (continued), (b) as explaining continuity and extension
• 9. The labyrinth of the continuum
• 10. The theory of space and time and its relation to monadism
• 11. The nature of monads in general
• 12. Soul and body
• 13. Confused and unconscious perception
• 14. Leibniz's theory of knowledge
• 15. Proofs of the existence of God
• 16. Leibniz's ethics
• Appendix.