About
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was a German philosopher, mathematician, logician, diplomat, jurist, historian, and librarian, often regarded as the last 'universal genius'. He invented infinitesimal calculus independently of Newton and introduced the modern notation still used today. He also developed the binary number system and designed a mechanical calculating machine. A major philosopher, he is known for his doctrine of monads, pre-established harmony, and the idea that we live in the best of all possible worlds. He founded the Berlin Academy of Sciences and maintained an extensive correspondence with over a thousand correspondents across Europe.
* 1646-06-21 — † 1716-11-14
Major works
- Meditations on Knowledge, Truth, and Ideas (1684)philosophical essay
- Discourse on Metaphysics (1686)philosophical treatise
- New System (1695)article
- Theodicy (1710)philosophical essay
- Monadology (1714)philosophical treatise
Key milestones
- 1673Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in London.
- 1700Founded the Brandenburg Society of Sciences, now the Berlin Academy.
- 2007His correspondence is inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Themes
MonadologyPre-established harmonyPrinciple of sufficient reasonInfinitesimal calculusBinary system
Sources: plato.stanford.edu · mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk · bbaw.de
