The theory of perception and the body in the philosophy of W.G.Leibniz

Abstract

The present project proposes an investigation into the conceptual problems surrounding the notions of perception and body in the development of Leibniz's last metaphysics. The notion of substance, from the time of the Discourse on Metaphysics to the monadological phase of Leibnizian thought, seems to undergo a reform. The "simple substance" of the Monadology differs greatly from the "individual substance" of the Discourse. The latter was defined by the complete notion to which all predicates are inherent. The former, on the other hand, is defined above all as "being capable of action" (Principles of Nature and Grace). This leads us to consider that there is a kind of dynamization of the concept of substance. We follow Fichant's hypothesis, according to which the monadological thesis is developed from the problem of the substantiality of bodies, which gains greater prominence in the last period of Leibniz's intellectual production. Within this framework, we seek to understand the changes and shifts that the concepts of perception and body undergo in leibnizian thought.