Leibniz (The Routledge Philosophers) 1st Edition

Leibniz has been baffling readers ever since he first put pen to paper. Most famously, he baffled Voltaire, who ridiculed a charicature of him in "Candide." But, there can be no doubt that Leibniz was a great genius who famously disputed with Newton over the discovery of calculus. There is much of value to be found in his philosophical work. The main problem with attempting to understand him on one's own is that his philosophical work is not collected in a single Great Book, but spread out in countles notes, letters, and complete and incomplete monographs. Neither the "Monadology" nor the "Discourse on Metaphysics" can be considered sufficient. A prolific Leibniz scholar, Jolley is able to sort through the great bulk of Leibniz's writings to find those key puzzle pieces that we need to formulate a clear picture of Leibniz's system. Written with utmost clarity, Jolley's work brings obscure and difficult doctrines in Leinbiz's metaphysics within the reach of the interested student, amateur, and professional alike. Don't get me wrong: Leibniz will never be easy. But, Jolley helps to make him accessible.After an introduction and a chapter on Leibniz's life and works, Jolley confronts the most difficult problems in understanding Leibniz head on, with a chapter on his "metaphysics of substances" and then a chapter on his "theory of monads". Jolley uses the "mirrors of God" metaphor as a basis for elucidating particular doctrines that Leibniz espouses and also shows various difficulties of interpretation. The work is not long-winded, but concise, up to date, and extremely informative. Each chapter ends with a summary of its contents, which will be useful to the student.Leibniz's influence will no-doubt grow in coming years, partly as a result of this work, which received rave reviews from Leibniz experts. This book should have a place in anyone's philosophical library.For some reason the Hard Bound edition always comes up when one does a search for this book. At $100, it is rather pricey. The paperback is also available on this site for about $25, and can be found by clicking the link at the top of this review.I also recommend: The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz and G.W. Leibniz: Philosophical Essays.

Krazy Kat finds this book is extremely lucid and well organized. This is a rare example of a very useful introduction to a very difficult thinker. I do think more needs to be said about Descartes' fundamental positions with which Leibniz is taking issue.

This book is remarkably clearly written exposition of the ideas of one the world's greatest thinkers. Highly recommended!

Received book amazingly quickly from the UK at a somewhat remote location in the Northwest USA. Book was in perfect condition. Could not ask for nor receive better service.

I wasn't put off by the previous reviewer's comment, and I do think it's a little unfair. If you're completely unfamiliar with philosophy as a discipline, then I'd agree, Jolley's book might be a little too much for you. But that's true of any introduction on any sub-section of a discipline: if you're completely unfamiliar with physics, you might find Brian Cox's books on astronomy too daunting; if you're completely unfamiliar with zoology, Richard Dawkins might baffle you, and so on. But I've read ten or twelve introductory texts to particular philosophers in recent years that are twice as difficult as this, and I haven't experienced half the illumination. As introductions go, this is very user-friendly. Jolley never introduces a technical term without explaining it for the benefit of non-specialists, and his examples always bring genuine clarity to the discussion. For the depth and breadth of Leibniz for those who don't know about him, I doubt this book can be bettered.Incidentally, it is quite easy to find "easier" texts on a philosopher that don't do the reader any real service at all, because they over-simplify that philosopher as a means to increasing his accessibility. Someone who doesn't know anything about Leibniz isn't really qualified to identify texts that exemplify this failing. The pitfalls in this area are real because Leibniz IS difficult.In short, I think Jolley's book is as good as any the beginner is likely to encounter. It requires you to work a bit, and to think hard in places. But there's no obfuscation, and certainly no deliberate obscurity. It works partly because Jolley is on Leibniz's side throughout, and does his level best to draw out the reasons behind his rather scattered (at times) thinking.

Leibniz can be frustrating; there's no question about that. But Jolley's introduction to Leibniz's work goes a long way toward clarifying many of Leibniz's core doctrines. One thing I find difficult in Leibniz's works is the apparent absence of arguments. Often, it feels as if Leibniz is making statements, not arguments, and the intervening inferences are left to the reader. Jolley takes note of this fact, and on many occasions provides possible constructions of supporting arguments. Additionally, Jolley draws heavily on contemporary literature on Leibniz. This makes it easier to find one's way into the current debates in Leibniz scholarship. Oh, and the book is very readible, as well.

the gift recipient loved it

A very interesting book; especially, for any people interested in philosophy and mathematics. Clear and efficient explanatory book on Leibniz.