Abstract

Leibniz is best known for maintaining two remarkable and seemingly implausible theses: the actual world is the best of all possible worlds, and reality ultimately consists of monads or soul-like entities. Scholars have subjected both these doctrines to searching examination, but on the whole they have not shown much interest in possible connections between them; Leibniz’s theodicy and his metaphysics have tended to be regarded as distinct projects which could be safely compartmentalized. In this deeply-researched, fluently-written and often penetrating study, Rutherford argues that this approach is seriously mistaken. In his view we cannot fully understand Leibniz’s metaphysics unless we see how it is shaped by the themes of his theodicy.