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GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ: THE ART OF CONTROVERSIES The New Synthese Historical Library Texts and Studies in the History of Philosophy VOLUME 60 Managing Editor: Simo Knuuttila, University of Helsinki Associate Editors: Daniel Elliot Garber, Princeton University Richard Sorabji, University of London Editorial Consultants: Jan A. Aertsen, Thomas-Institut, Universität zu Köln Roger Ariew, University of South Florida E. Jennifer Ashworth, University of Waterloo Michael Ayers, Wadham College, Oxford Gail Fine, Cornell University R. J. Hankinson, University of Texas Jaakko Hintikka, Boston University Paul Hoffman, University of California, Riverside David Konstan, Brown University Richard H. Kraut, Northwestern University, Evanston Alain de Libera, Université de Genève John E. Murdoch, Harvard University David Fate Norton, McGill University Luca Obertello, Università degli Studi di Genova Eleonore Stump, St. Louis University Allen Wood, Stanford University The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume. GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ The Art of Controversies Translated and Edited, with an Introductory Essay and Notes by MARCELO DASCAL Tel Aviv University, Israel with QUINTIN RACIONERO AND ADELINO CARDOSO ´ Library of Congress Control Number: 2008920394 ISBN 978-1-4020-8190-3 (PB) ISBN 978-1-4020-5227-9 (HB) ISBN 978-1-4020-5228-6 (e-book) Published by Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. www.springer.com Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. En un mot, l’art de conferer et disputer auroit besoin d’estre tout refondu. [In a word, the art of negotiating and disputing should be entirely redone.] Leibniz, Nouveaux essais sur l’entendement humain (4.7.11) […] you have to find a way to put the extremes together, not necessarily by diminishing the extremity of each one, but to form the art of transition. […] You have to keep the extremes but find the link, always find the link, so that there is an organic whole. Daniel Barenboim (In Barenboim and Said 2004: 68-69) Et qui publice loquitur, pati debet publice contradicentem. [And the person who speaks in public must bear to be contradicted in public.] Leibniz, Letter to Honoré Fabri (GP IV 246) Contents Abbreviations xi About the Apparatus xiii Acknowledgements xv Introductory Essay xix 1. Vices of Mingled Disputes 1 2. The Controversy of Controversies 7 3. The Religion of a Peasant 25 4. The Elements of Thinking 29 5. The Balance of Law 35 6. Can there be an Obligation to Believe? 41 A. First draft 42 B. New version 44 C. Final version 44 7. Controversies on Sacred Matters 49 8. The Judge of Controversies 55 A. First draft 57 B. Definitive version 58 C. Richelieu and De Groot on controversies 60 D. The utility of controversies 61 E. The most useful kind of controversies 61 F. Controversies 62 9. Towards a Heuristics for Litigation 65 A. Preserving form in litigation 65 B. All possible litigations 66 C. A handbook of practical litigations 67 D. Juridical commonplaces 68 E. Brocardic principles 70 F. The art of writing dialogues 72 10. The Method of Jurists and the Method of Doctors 75 11. Interpretation and Argumentation in Law 77 A. Prolegomena 78 B. On the interpretation, foundations, application 79 and system of laws 12. Towards a Heuristics for Discovery 93 A. The art of invention 94 B. Tables, divisions, and the plurality of methods 98 vii viii Contents C. A principle of discovery 101 D. A rule of discovery 101 13. Estimating the Uncertain 105 14. Towards a Numerical Universal Language 119 15. The Encyclopedia and the Method of Discovery 129 16. Towards a Heuristics for Persuading 143 A. The power of persuading 144 B. Concurrence of arguments 145 C. Quickly defeating an adversary 145 D. Words 146 E. Paradoxes 147 F. Wrongdoing 148 G. How grave a sin is not saying the truth? 148 H. The occasion for persuading 152 I. Disputing until completion 155 17. The Other’s Place 163 18. Persuading a Skeptic 167 19. On Controversies 201 20. On Principles 209 21. Two Prefaces to the General Science 213 A. The instauration of the sciences: A preface 214 B. Foundations and examples of a new general science 216 22. Introduction to a Secret Encyclopedia 219 23. On the Creation of a New Logic 225 24. New Openings 231 25. Theology and the Principle of Contradiction 237 26. Changing Religion 241 27. Methods of Reunion 247 28. An Ars Characteristica for the Rational Sciences 263 29. ‘Characterizing’ Definitions and Demonstrating Propositions 271 30. Advancing the Art of Discovery 275 31. Correspondence with the Hamburg Jungians 285 A. Leibniz to Placcius (March 1679) 286 B. Leibniz to Placcius (January 1687) 290 C. Leibniz-Vagetius-Leibniz (1686-1687) 291 D. Leibniz to Placcius (1687) 295 E. Leibniz to Placcius (April 1695) 296 F. Leibniz to Placcius (May 1696) 297 32. The Philosophical Sin Controversy 305 Contents ix 33. Confronting the Catholic Hardliners: Two 309 Memoirs for Pellisson A. First memoir 309 B. Second memoir 315 34. Defining what Pertains to Faith 325 35. Judgment of a Catholic Doctor 329 36. Presumptions and Fictions in Legal Argumentation: 341 Correspondence with Johannes Werlhof A. Leibniz to Werlhof (July 1696) 342 B. Leibniz to Werlhof (1687-1696) 343 C. Werlhof to Leibniz (July 1696) 347 D. Leibniz to Werlhof (July 1696) 349 E. Werlhof to Leibniz (August 1696) 350 F. Leibniz to Werlhof (August 1696) 352 37. The ‘Method of Establishments’: 359 To Thomas Burnett of Kemeny 38. The Achievements of Logic and Beyond 373 To Gabriel Wagner 39. Pacts, Contracts, and Natural Law 391 40. Approaching the Church of England 399 A. Annotator’s preface (A) 400 B. Annotations to the translator’s preface 405 C. Synopsis 406 41. Dialectic Principles and their Application 419 A. The strength and the weakness of reason 420 B. Between Bayle and Le Clerc 420 C. Letter to Jaquelot (October 1706) 422 42. The History and Tasks of Logic: 429 To Cornelius Dietrich Koch 43. Bold Conjectures: 435 To Louis Bourguet 44. The Dynamics of Formulating and Expounding the System: 445 To Nicolas-François Remond 45. The Use of Logic against Skepticism: 451 To Karl G. Ehler Biographical Notes 455 References 473 Subject Index 483 Name Index 509 Abbreviations /HLEQL] V:RUNV $ 6lPWOLFKH6FKULIWHQXQG%ULHIH(GLWHGVLQFHE\YDULRXV/HLEQL] 5HVHDUFK &HQWHUV LQ *HUPDQ\ &XUUHQWO\ SXEOLVKHG E\ $NDGHPLH 9HUODJ %HUOLQ % 'LH/HLEQL]+DQGVFKULIWHQGHU.|QLJOLFKHQ|IIHQWOLFKHQ%LEOLRWKHN]X +DQQRYHU (GLWHG E\ ( %RGHPDQQ +DQQRYHU/HLS]LJ UHSU +LOGHVKHLP & 2SXVFXOHV HW IUDJPHQWV LQpGLWV (GLWHG E\ / &RXWXUDW 3DULV UHSU+LOGHVKHLP ' 2SHUD2PQLD(GLWHGE\/'XWHQV*HQqYH UHSU+LOGHVKHLP ( 2SHUD 3KLORVRSKLFD TXDH H[VWDQW ODWLQD JDOOLFD JHUPDQLFD RPQLD (GLWHGE\-((UGPDQQ%HUOLQ )& 2HXYUHVGH/HLEQL](GLWHGE\$)RXFKHUGH&DUHLO3DULV UHSU+LOGHVKHLP *0 /HLEQL]HQV0DWKHPDWLVFKH6FKULIWHQ(GLWHGE\&,*HUKDUGW+DOOH UHSU+LOGHVKHLP *3 'LH 3KLORVRSKLVFKHQ 6FKULIWHQ YRQ * : /HLEQL] (GLWHG E\ &, *HUKDUGW%HUOLQ UHSU+LOGHVKHLP *5 7H[WHVLQpGLWV(GLWHGE\**UXD3DULV *8 /HLEQLW]¶V 'HXWVFKH 6FKULIWHQ (GLWHG E\ * ( *XUKDXHU %HUOLQ . 'LH:HUNHYRQ/HLEQL](GLWHGE\2.ORSS/HLS]LJ xi xii Abbreviations /+ /HLEQL]+DQGVFKULIWHQ 1LHGHUVlFKVLVFKHQ /DQGHVELEOLRWKHN +DQQRYHU 0 5HFKVWISKLORVRSKLVFKHVDXV/HLEQL]HQVXQJHGUXFNWHQ6FKULIWHQ(GLWHG E\*0ROODW/HLS]LJ 1( 1RXYHDX[HVVDLVVXUO HQWHQGHPHQWKXPDLQ,Q$9,DQGLQ*39 3 /HLEQLW]HQV JHVDPPHOWH :HUNH (UVWH )ROJH *HVFKLFKWH (GLWHG E\ *$3HUW]+DQQRYHU 7UDQVODWLRQV / 3KLORVRSKLFDO 3DSHUV DQG /HWWHUV 7UDQVODWHG E\ /( /RHPNHU 'RUGUHFKWQGHG 0$ *:/HLEQL]±6FULWWL3ROLWLFLHGL'LULWWR1DWXUDOH7UDQVODWHGE\ 90DWKLHX7RULQR 3$ /RJLFDO3DSHUV7UDQVODWHGE\*+53DUNLQVRQ2[IRUG 65 'H6XPPD5HUXP±0HWDSK\VLFDO3DSHUV7UDQVODWHGE\ *+53DUNLQVRQ1HZ+DYHQ About the Apparatus In addition to the Introductory Essay, each Chapter comprises an Introduction that sketches its background, gives an overview of its contents, offers some interpretative suggestions, and indicates the Chapter’s significance in the context of the book. For multi-text Chapters, in most of the cases an Introduction is given for each of the individual texts too. The footnotes contain marginal additions or corrections by Leibniz as well as additional information on textual matters. The endnotes provide information about persons, events, concepts, and controversies mentioned in the text, which a 21st century reader is unlikely to be familiar with; they also include cross-references to other Leibniz texts (in this volume or elsewhere), references to relevant studies, and interpretative suggestions. The two kinds of notes have been distinguished in order to allow for a continuous reading of the text and its modifications, prior to considering the additional material given in the endnotes. The References contain only the titles referred to or made use o f and i s n ot intended as a bibliography on Leibniz’s Art of Controversies. Most of the references to writings Leibniz himself refers to are included in the endnotes of the Chapters, with the e xception o f a few classical works, which are listed in the References. Further information on authors Leibniz often mentions can be found in the Biographical Notes. These authors are marked with an asterisk in their first occurrence in each of the Chapters. A list of Abbreviations serves to refer to the most used editions of Leibniz’s works. A few Leibniz titles are included in the References. Spelling in the 17th century varied. In general, Leibniz’s spelling was respected. Proper names are rendered either in Latin or in the person’s national language. Words added to the translation in order to make it clearer are in square brackets. When necessary, words in the original language are given in italics, within parentheses.
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  • Feng Youlan's Interpretation of Western Philosophy

    Feng Youlan's Interpretation of Western Philosophy

    ASIANetwork Exchange | Fall 2014 | volume 22 | 1 Feng Youlan’s Interpretation of Western Philosophy: A Critical Examination from the Perspective of Metaphysical Methodology Derong Chen Abstract: This paper concentrates on Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy from the perspective of metaphysical methodology and aims to display a limited observation of Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy through the window of metaphysical methodology. Based on a brief review of the recent studies of Feng Youlan and Western philoso- phy, this paper analyzes the progress and insufficient aspects in current studies on this issue and particularly clarifies what are the metaphysics and metaphysical methods in the context of Feng Youlan’s philosophy. In clarifying Feng’s interpreta- tion of Western philosophy from the perspective of methodology, this paper further critically analyzes Feng’s positive metaphysical methods and negative metaphysical methods, and assumes that Feng’s negative metaphysical methods essentially is a kind of attitude towards metaphysics but neither a kind of metaphysics nor a kind of metaphysical methods. Instead of characterizing metaphysical methods as positive and negative as Feng did, this paper suggests an alternative division of metaphysical methods: direct and indirect methods of dealing with metaphysical issues. Keywords Feng Youlan; metaphysics; metaphysical methods; Western philosophy; negative metaphysics In the twentieth century, Feng Youlan was one of the Chinese intellectuals most deeply Derong Chen is a Sessional involved in the dialogue and interaction between Chinese and Western philosophies. In Lecturer II at the University of addition to studying Western philosophy at Columbia University, he systematically con- Toronto Mississauga. ducted research on Western philosophy, specifically the philosophy of life.