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Article LEIBNIZ AND SPINOZA. ← Page 2 of 25 →
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Leibniz And Spinoza.
while some , better informed , maintained that his views , neither in religion nor philosophy , had undergone any change . Save as matter for a controversy , which might become historically interesting , the subject was now little thought of , when , just at a period when all hopes of ever reaching its solution seem to have been tacitly given upa young French noblemanM . le
, , Comte Eoucher cle Careil , has discovered a number of MSS . of Leibniz in the library at Hanover , and among them a refutation of the doctrines maintained by Spinoza , written in Leibniz ' s own hand , and evidently to be referred to a late period of his life . Travelling in Germany with a view to literary and scientific investigations , M . cle Careil found among some neglected
MSS . in the Royal Hanovarian Library some which attracted his attention as evidently bearing on metaphysical and ethical topics ; he soon perceived that they were by no less distinguished
a writer than Leibniz ; and having obtained the permission of the authorities , he translated them , and has now given to the world all that it may expect to see of the productions of that great man . Not satisfied with this , he has given an introduction to the one and attached a dissertation to the other of the tw o books before us , by which the reader may be informed of
all that has been done in the way of editing and illustrating the works of Leibniz , and how his opinions were circulated among the learned of France and England , as well as his own country . Setting aside the refutation of Spinoza , Avhich will require a special notice , the most interesting of M . de Careil ' s discoveries are a critique on Stillingfleet and Locke with regard to ideas in
general , and especially the idea of substance ; a correspondence on various subjects , philosophical and scientific , with the Abbe Eoucher ; another with Fontenelle ; reflections on the art of knoAving mankind ; and some critical remarks on Bayles' Dictionary .
These Ave shall proceed to introduce to the reader first , and conclude Avith a notice of the longer and more important refutation of Benedict Spinoza . The first of these treatises deals with the question of ideas in general , and more particularly Avith that of substance , as bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity , on Avhich Stillingfleet had just published his celebrated Avork ,
and was engaged in a metaphysical contest AA'ith Locke . The practical part ofthe dispute turns on the pointy—Whether it be possible to believe anything of Avhich AVC have not clear and distinct ideas ; and volumes of subtle and useless logomachy have been Avritten about it . It is evidently but putting off the difficulty to inquire what ideas are ; every one knows that in order to believe any fact or doctrine he must have a clear and distinct
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Leibniz And Spinoza.
while some , better informed , maintained that his views , neither in religion nor philosophy , had undergone any change . Save as matter for a controversy , which might become historically interesting , the subject was now little thought of , when , just at a period when all hopes of ever reaching its solution seem to have been tacitly given upa young French noblemanM . le
, , Comte Eoucher cle Careil , has discovered a number of MSS . of Leibniz in the library at Hanover , and among them a refutation of the doctrines maintained by Spinoza , written in Leibniz ' s own hand , and evidently to be referred to a late period of his life . Travelling in Germany with a view to literary and scientific investigations , M . cle Careil found among some neglected
MSS . in the Royal Hanovarian Library some which attracted his attention as evidently bearing on metaphysical and ethical topics ; he soon perceived that they were by no less distinguished
a writer than Leibniz ; and having obtained the permission of the authorities , he translated them , and has now given to the world all that it may expect to see of the productions of that great man . Not satisfied with this , he has given an introduction to the one and attached a dissertation to the other of the tw o books before us , by which the reader may be informed of
all that has been done in the way of editing and illustrating the works of Leibniz , and how his opinions were circulated among the learned of France and England , as well as his own country . Setting aside the refutation of Spinoza , Avhich will require a special notice , the most interesting of M . de Careil ' s discoveries are a critique on Stillingfleet and Locke with regard to ideas in
general , and especially the idea of substance ; a correspondence on various subjects , philosophical and scientific , with the Abbe Eoucher ; another with Fontenelle ; reflections on the art of knoAving mankind ; and some critical remarks on Bayles' Dictionary .
These Ave shall proceed to introduce to the reader first , and conclude Avith a notice of the longer and more important refutation of Benedict Spinoza . The first of these treatises deals with the question of ideas in general , and more particularly Avith that of substance , as bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity , on Avhich Stillingfleet had just published his celebrated Avork ,
and was engaged in a metaphysical contest AA'ith Locke . The practical part ofthe dispute turns on the pointy—Whether it be possible to believe anything of Avhich AVC have not clear and distinct ideas ; and volumes of subtle and useless logomachy have been Avritten about it . It is evidently but putting off the difficulty to inquire what ideas are ; every one knows that in order to believe any fact or doctrine he must have a clear and distinct