Leibniz's monad theory
The modern German philosopher Leibniz believed that the monad is a dynamic, indivisible spiritual entity, the basis and final unit of things. The monads are independent and closed (there are no "windows" to enter and exit), yet they interact with each other through God, and each of them reflects and represents the whole world. Leibniz's monad theory reveals the nature, functioning, and development of human consciousness. Monad has spirituality, agency, and is an active spiritual entity; monad has the principle of continuity, inorganic things and plants have "micro-perception", animals have "soul", or clearer perception, people have "unified consciousness" or clearer perception, and regard the form as the intermediary of the soul's understanding of the universe; the soul and the form are inseparable, and each follows its own laws and harmonizes with each other. Monad idealism solves important epistemological problems such as matter and consciousness, soul and form. This article is excerpted from a chapter in Leibniz's treatise The Monoton, in which Leibniz proves to himself that our world is the best of all possible worlds...
Descartes once admitted that the soul cannot give strength to the body, because there is always the same amount of force in matter.
However, he thought that the soul could change the movement of the form, but this was because in his time it was not yet known that a natural law was that all movements in matter were themselves conserved.
If he knew this law, he would have thrown himself into my predetermined system of harmony.
This system makes the body move as if there were no soul at all (naturally this is impossible), makes the soul move as if there were no form at all, and makes the two move as if they were influencing each other.
Speaking of the mind or the rational soul, though I find that in the final analysis all living things and animals are the same, as we have just said (i.e., animals and souls only occur with the universe and end with the world).
However, there is a peculiarity among rational animals, that is, their small animals in the state of sperm, when they are merely sperm, have only ordinary souls or sensual souls, but when those small animals that can be said to be specially selected acquire humanity by virtue of actual inoculation, their sensual souls rise to the level of reason, and thus acquire the privileges of the mind.
Some of the other differences between the ordinary soul and the mind, I have already pointed out in part. There is also a difference, that is:
The ordinary soul is the living mirror of the universe of creation, while the mind is the image of God himself or the creator of nature himself, capable of knowing the system of the universe and imitating certain points of the cosmic system by means of architectural models; each mind is quite like a small god within its own scope.
It is this truth that enables the spirit to have a social relationship with God in one way, and God's relationship with the spirit is not only the relationship of an inventor to his machine, but also the relationship of a monarch to his subjects, and even the relationship of a father to his children.
It is easy to conclude from this that "all spirits together shall form the city-state of God, the most perfect state possible under the rule of the most perfect king."
This city-state of God, this truly ordinary kingdom, is a moral world in the natural world, the noblest and holiest part of God's work.
It is in this kingdom that the glory of God is truly contained, for if the greatness and goodness of God are not known and worshipped by the spirit, there is no glory of God at all.
It is precisely because of his relationship with this holy city-state that God is particularly good, and God's wisdom and power are manifested everywhere.
Since we have established above a perfect harmony between each of the natural realms, between the dynamic cause and the purpose cause, we should now point to another harmony that exists between the physical and the moral realms of nature, between the God who built the cosmic machine and the God of the Holy City-State of the King's Landing Spirit.
This harmony leads things to divine grace through the natural pathway itself, for example, when the politics of the spirit demands the destruction and reconstruction of the earth to punish some and reward others, the earth is destroyed and rebuilt through the natural pathway itself.
We can also say that God as architect is in every way insufficient to satisfy God as legislator.
Thus sin must necessarily bring its punishment by the natural order, and even by the mechanical structure of things; likewise, good deeds are rewarded by mechanical means of the physical, although this cannot and should not always be attained immediately.
Finally, under this perfect government, there will never be good deeds that go unrequited, nor will there be impunity for evil deeds, but everything should be done for the welfare of the good, that is, for those who have no grievances in this great nation, who do their duty and then obey the destiny, who appropriately love and imitate the Creator of the all good, who obey the true nature of pure love and who are comfortable in watching the fullness of God.
This kind of pure love can make people happy from the happiness of the object of love.
It is this principle that enables the wise and virtuous to work for all that seems to be predetermined or pre-existent god's will, yet to be satisfied with all that God actually brings by his secret, consistent, and decisive will.
If we can fully understand the order of the universe, we will find that the universe is really beyond the wishes of all wise people.
If we attach ourselves to the Creator who created everything, we attach ourselves not only to the architect and the dynamic cause that makes us exist, but also to the Lord and the cause of purpose that should be the whole purpose of our will and the only cause of our happiness.
This cosmic order, then, could not have been better than it is now, not only for the whole in general, but also in particular for ourselves.
Excerpt from "The Monograph"
Author: [de] Leibniz
This article is reproduced for Peking University Public Communications
The copyright belongs to the author
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