Leibniz's New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical ExpositionDewey, John
Philosophy
Leibniz's New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition
Dewey, John
Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm, Freiherr von, 1646-1716
Extension is
the abstract quality of this concrete subject. Such, in effect, is the
deduction which Leibniz gives of body, or physical matter, from matter
as metaphysical; of matter as sensible or phenomenal, from matter as
ideal or as intelligible.
If we put together what has been said, it is clear that material
phenomena (bodies, _corpora_, in Leibniz's phrase) simply repeat
in another sphere the properties of the spiritual monad. There
is a complete parallelism between every property, each to each,
and this necessarily; for every property of "body" is in logical
dependence upon, and a phenomenalization of, some spiritual or ideal
quality. Motion is the source of all the dynamic qualities of body, and
motion is the reflection of Force, that force which is Life. But this
force in all finite forms is conditioned by a passive, unreceptive,
unresponsive factor; and this must also have its correlate in
"body." This correlate is primarily impenetrability, and secondarily
extension. Thus it is that concrete body always manifests motion,
indeed, but upon a background of extension, and against inertia. It
never has free play; had it an unrestrained field of activity,
extension would disappear, and spatial motion would vanish into
ideal energy. On the other hand, were the essence of matter found in
resistance or impenetrability, it would be wholly inert; it would be a
monotone of extension, without variety of form or cohesion. As Leibniz
puts it with reference to Locke, "body" implies motion, or impetuosity,
resistance, and cohesion. Motion is the active principle, resistance
the passive; while cohesion, with its various grades of completeness,
which produce form, size, and solidity, is the result of their union.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account