3. Gottfried W. Leibniz (1646-1716)
- MA Phil 1663 and BA Law, Leipzig 1665
secretary to the Elector of Mainz
visits Paris (Huygens)
counsellor to to the Duke of Brunswick in Hanover
- private tutor of Caroline of Anspach, the future Princess of Wales and wife of George II
Discourse on Metaphysics 1686
New System of Nature 1695
Monadology 1714
Theodicy 1710
New Essays on Human Understanding (comp , publ. 1765)

4. Samuel Clarke (1675-1729) - BA Cambridge - Boyle lectures (1704-05)
A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God
A Discourse concerning natural religion
translation of Newton’s Opticks into Latin
Rector of St. James’s Church in Westminster (Newton’s parish)
coronation of George I of Hanover (Clarke was personal chaplain of Princess Caroline of Anspach, the future wife of George II)
exchange with Leibniz via Princess Carolineof Anspach
first published in 1717

5. The Calculus dispute
Leibniz comes to know of Newton in 1672; first exchange of letters in 1677.
development of calculus
Leibniz’s account of Differential Calculus in 1684 and Integral Calculus 1686
Newton’s Principia 1687
cordial exchange of letters between Newton and Leibniz on gravity and planetary motion still in
1708 John Keill publishes in the Philosophical Transactions an accusation that Leibniz plagiarised Newton’s calculus
1710 Leibniz requested redress from the Royal Society (full member since 1673)
the RS requested Keill’s account, and accepted it in 1711
1712 Leibniz appealed again, the RS formed a committee (chaired by Newton), which issued a report in 1713 (Commercium Epistolicum, written by Newton) that condemned Leibniz.
Leibniz refutes the report in his Charta volans published in Dec 1713, showing that Newton’s mastery of the calculus was patchy (showcasing an error in Principia Bk. 2, prop. 10 – mistake pointed out to Leibniz anonymously by Johan Bernoulli)
in spring 1716 Caroline tried to pacify Newton and Leibniz, but failed
since 1709 Leibniz intensified his attacks on various aspects of Newtonian theory, in his publications and letters

6. The Calculus dispute

7. A. R. Hall, Philosophers at War (1980)

8. Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence
5 letters exchanged via princess Caroline, starting with Leibniz’s attack on Newton, followed by Clarke’s reply
TOPICS:
(i) theological and metaphysical
- the relation of God to the world
- God’s attributes
- the nature of soul and its relation to body
- free will
- the Principle of Sufficient Reason
- miracles
(iii) physical/scientific
- the nature of space and time
- the nature of matter
- gravity
- motive force
- the size of the universe

9. The Plan 14 October: Newton’s revolution 21 October: no class
Newton’s Revolution in Physics - dr. Ivica Smolic, Asistant Professor of Physics, Faculty of Science
Newton’s Impact on Philosophy - PG
21 October: no class
by 28 October
(i) read the LCC
(ii) make synoptic notes of the arguments
(iii) choose a topic for 20min presentation as an
introduction to discussion
28 October: Space as the sensorium of God

10. The Plan 4 November: Topic 1 11 November: Topic 2 18 November: Topic 3
2 December: Topic 5
9 December: Topic 6
16 December: Topic 7
23 December (?): Topic 8
13 January: Topic 9
20 January: Topic 10
27 January: Topic 11

11. Obligations and Grading
OBLIGATION %OF FINAL
MARK
attendance (max. 3 absences)
synoptic notes of arguments in LCC 10%
20min presentation on topic of choice 20%
discussion in class %
short quiz (unannounced, after 4 Nov) 10%
written exam %
10 short factual questions
5 expanded questions
3 discussion questions (choice out of 10)

12. READINGS - OBLIGATORY
R. Ariew (ed.), G. W. Leibniz and Samuel Clarke: Correspondence, Indianapolis-Cambridge, 2000.
H. G. Alexander, “Introduction”, in The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence, Manchester, 1956, pp. ix-lvi
I. Newton, Philosophical Writings, ed. A. Janiak, Cambridge, [parts]
Introduction, pp. ix-xxxi
Principia, Scholium to Definitions, pp
Principia, General Scholium, pp
G. W. Leibniz, Philosophical Essays, ed. R. Ariew & D. Garber, Cambridge, [parts]
Monadology, pp
Letters on Newton, pp

13. READINGS - SUGGESTED
E. Vailati, Leibniz and Clarke. A Study of their Correspondence, Oxford, 1997.
L. A. Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science, London, 1924.
Chapter VII: “The Metaphysics of Newton”, pp
G. W. Leibniz, Philosophical Essays, ed. R. Ariew & D. Garber, Cambridge, 1989.
Discourse on Metaphysics, pp
New System of Nature, pp
I. Kant, Critique of the Pure Reason, tr. N. Kemp Smith, London, 1929.
“Transcendental Aesthetic”, pp

14. READINGS - OTHER
S. Shapin, “Of Gods and Kings: Natural Philosophy and Politics in the Leibniz-Clarke Disputes”, Isis 72 (1981),
R. Laymon, “Newton's Bucket Experiment”, Journal of the History of Philosophy 16 (1978),
S. Clarke, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God and Other Writings, ed. E. Vailati, Cambridge, 1998.
R. T. W. Arthur, “Space and Relativity in Newton and Leibniz”, British Journal for the History of Science 45 (1994),
N. Jolly (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz, Cambridge, 1995.