John Locke and Gottfried Leibniz

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Locke does not believe human beings can have any access to accurate knowledge of the actually existing reality of things; whereas, Leibniz holds that the way a word is used to refer to an object is part of our understanding of the object's real essence and that its real essence can be understood through its observable properties. The paper states the suggestion that such concepts are acquired only through sense experience, which is Locke's position, thus undermines, not only Leibniz's view of the relationship between the human mind and the external universe, but his interpretation of the role of God in giving existence to the universe through the principle of the First Cause and final sufficient reason.

From the Paper:

"This is a fundamentally different position from that of Leibniz, who holds that this process does indeed function in human beings as it does in animals " "men act like the lower animals, resembling the empirical physicians, whose methods are those of mere practice without theory" " but that this is only part of the explanation for human understanding. The element this empirical explanation disregards is precisely that rational capacity which separates people from animals and makes human nature what it is: "it is the knowledge of necessary and eternal truths that distinguishes us from the mere animals and gives us Reason and the sciences, raising us to the knowledge of ourselves and of God."

More papers on John Locke and Gottfried Leibniz:

• Analytical Essay # 130257 : "John Locke and the Declaration of Independence"
• Essay # 56949 : "John Locke and Politics"
• Analytical Essay # 26483 : "John Locke and Private Property"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: