Gottfried Leibniz’s Monadology

Indroduction :

"Gottfried Leibniz's Monadology" is a philosophical treatise written by the German

philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. In this work, Leibniz presents his metaphysical
system, which is centered around the concept of monads. (Monas is a Greek word
which signifies unity or that which is one)

Leibniz's "Monadology" is a significant work in the history of philosophy, offering a

unique perspective on the nature of reality, individual substances, and the idea of a
pre-established harmony. It has influenced subsequent philosophers and continues to
be a subject of philosophical debate and discussion.

Quote:

It follows from what we have just said, that the natural changes of monads
come from an internal principle, and that …change is continual in each one . …
Now this connection of all created things with each, and of each with all the
rest, means that each simple substance has relations which express all the
others,… each created monad represents the whole universe. (Leibniz, 1670)

Meaning :

Leibniz's statement means that in his philosophy, changes in monads, which are basic
elements of reality, are caused by something inside them. These changes happen all
the time. What's interesting is that every monad is connected to every other monad
in a way that each monad reflects the entire universe. In other words, each simple
substance, like a monad, has connections that show the relationships with everything
else in the universe. So, even though each monad is tiny, it somehow represents the
whole vast universe in its own unique way. This idea reflects Leibniz's belief in the
interconnectedness and complexity of the world.