The Labyrinth of the Continuum: Writings on the Continuum Problem, 1672-1686. [Hardcover]

G. W. Leibniz (Author), Professor Richard T. W. Arthur (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300079117 | ISBN-13: 978-0300079111 | Publication Date: February 2002

This book gathers together for the first time an important body of texts written between 1672 and 1686 by the great German philosopher and polymath Gottfried Leibniz. These writings, most of them previously untranslated, represent Leibniz's sustained attempt on a problem whose solution was crucial to the development of his thought, that of the composition of the continuum. The volume begins with excerpts from Leibniz's Paris writings, in which he tackles such problems as whether the infinite division of matter entails "perfect points", whether matter and space can be regarded as true wholes, whether motion is truly continuous, and the nature of body and substance. Comprising the second section is Pacidius Philalethi, Leibniz's brilliant dialogue of late 1676 on the problem of the continuity of motion. In the selections of the final section, from his Hanover writings of 1677-1686, Leibniz abandons his earlier transcreationism and atomism in favour of the theory of corporeal substance, where the reality of body and motion is founded in substantial form or force. Leibniz's texts (one in French, the rest in Latin) are presented with facing-page English translations, together with an introduction, notes, appendixes containing related excerpts from earlier works by Leibniz and his predecessors, and a valuable glossary detailing important terms and their translations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Yale Leibniz, Daniel Garber and Robert C. Sleigh, Jr., general editors

About the Author

Richard Arthur is professor of philosophy at Middlebury College.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300079117
• ISBN-13: 978-0300079111
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,408,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Continuum, December 14, 2002

By 

"pacidius" (Chile) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Labyrinth of the Continuum: Writings on the Continuum Problem, 1672-1686. (Hardcover)

This book edited by Richard T. W. Arthur is definitely a great contribution to the study of Leibniz's philosophy. I use it to prepare my Ph.D project in Philosophy. In this selections we can find one of the most dificulty and interesting problem of the german philosopher in the philosophy of physics and matematics, i. e., the problem of the continuum: in word of Leibniz "the problem of the labyrinth". The selection embrace texts from 1672 to 1686. Although the editor include the original latin texts and a good english translation, the reader must be aware of some problem with the edition. There are some errors in the latin, to many for a prestigious editorial, like Yale University Press. Furthermore the Introduction by T. W. Arthur is in my opinion too arbitrary in the explanation of the diferent solutions from Leibniz to the problem of the continuum.
But, in general, a good book for anyone who is interested in the philosophy of Leibniz. And the most important aspect of the book is that the reader can have in one volume a series of the most representative texts about the "labyrinth" that were not before compiled and are here finally accessible. Besides the editor include a good bibliography in the Introduction and all the texts are cited in accord with the Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften (in charge of the complete works of Leibniz).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Continuum, December 14, 2002

By 

"pacidius" (Chile) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Labyrinth of the Continuum: Writings on the Continuum Problem, 1672-1686. (Hardcover)

This book edited by Richard T. W. Arthur is definitely a great contribution to the study of Leibniz's philosophy. I use it to prepare my Ph.D project in Philosophy. In this selections we can find one of the most dificulty and interesting problem of the german philosopher in the philosophy of physics and matematics, i. e., the problem of the continuum: in word of Leibniz "the problem of the labyrinth". The selection embrace texts from 1672 to 1686. Although the editor include the original latin texts and a good english translation, the reader must be aware of some problem with the edition. There some errors in the latin, to many for a prestigious editorial, like Yale University Press. Furthermore the Introduction by T. W. Arthur is in my opinion too arbitrary in the explanation of the diferent solutions from Leibniz to the problem of the continuum.
But, in general, a good book for anyone who is interested in the philosophy of Leibniz. And the most important aspect of the book is that the reader can have in one volume a series of the most representative texts about the "labyrinth" that were not before compiled and are here finally accessible. Besides the editor include a good bibliography in the Introduction and all the texts are cited in accord with the Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften (in charge of the complete works of Leibniz).