Leibniz Rationalism

Leibniz Rationalism
Rationalism is the principle that maintains that through reason alone we can gain at least some
positive knowledge of the world. The three major rationalists, Rene Descartes, Baruch Spinoza and
Gottfried Welhelm Leibniz, used this idea in order to defy skepticism and expose the true nature of
reality. However, each philosopher is frequently in disagreement. The idea for 'God', and what
constitutes substance, matter and reality are the four key structural beliefs that aid each rationalist in
the forming of their arguments. Yet, it is these four concepts and the arguments behind them that
cause the inconsistency found in rationalism. The idea that reason can provide positive solutions to
the various questions put forth is made doubtful ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
So, relatedly, the monad must not only exhibit properties, but contain within itself 'virtually' or
'potentially' all the properties it will exhibit in the future, and also contain the 'trace' of all the
properties it did exhibit in the past. In Leibniz's extraordinary phrase, found frequently in his later
work, the monad is 'pregnant' with the future and 'laden' with the past (Monadology, p22). All these
properties are 'folded' up within the monad, and they unfold when and as they have sufficient reason
to do so. (Monadology p61) The network of explanation is indivisible – to divide it would either
leave some predicates without a sufficient reason, or merely separate two substances that never
belonged together in the first place. Correspondingly, the monad is one, 'simple' and indivisible.
Everything we perceive around us, which is a unified being, must be a single monad. Everything
else is a composite of many monads. My coffee cup, for example, is made of many monads (an
infinite number, actually). In everyday life, we tend to call it a single thing only because the monads
all act together. My soul, however, and the soul of every other living thing, is a single monad which
'controls' a composite body. Leibniz thus says that at least for living things we must posit substantial
forms, as the principle of the unity of certain living composites. My
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Impact Of Voltaire's Candide And The Enlightenment
Voltaire's Candide and The Enlightenment Voltaire was an Enlightenment thinker who used not only
his ideas and beliefs, but other philosophers' as well. The exile of Voltaire allowed him to acquire
the knowledge of other's ideas, ways of life, and government. Because these ideas were alien to him
he felt obligated to either reject or accept them. Regardless of which he chose, Voltaire would
always back up his opinions with the ideas of other Enlightenment thinkers. These agreements and
criticisms were expressed in one of his most famous works, Candide. Voltaire liked to harshly
criticize other's ideas in his works. Jean– Jacques Rousseau was a French philosopher who had more
idealistic thoughts than Voltaire. Which is probably why Voltaire despised the idea of the noble
savages that Rousseau came up with. The noble savage was the idea that all humans are inherently
good, for they have just been corrupted by the materialistic aspects of life like money. Voltaire
responded to this in chapter six of Candide. The Oriellons are introduced as an uncivilized people,
thus, through the lens' of Rousseau they should have been moral, ethical, and good. However, when
Candide and Cacambo awoke on the Oriellon's land "They found themselves surrounded by some
fifty naked Oreillons, armed with arrows, clubs, and stone axes" (Voltaire 68). This is essentially
Voltaire's response to Rousseau saying that moral and ethical beings should more than likely not be
in possession of

Voltaire's Criticism of Leibniz Essay
Voltaire's Criticism of Leibniz
The Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, was a time of great intellectual and moral growth for
humanity. In part because of the increasing effect of the Protestant Reformation, people were
starting to turn to reason for the answers to life's questions, rather than to the dogmas of the Catholic
Church. Scientific inquiry became widespread and accepted as the standard for inquiring into the
nature of the universe. The scientific method was developed. For the first time in the history of art,
perspective was used in paintings. (Now people who were farther away looked farther away). Great
advances were made in medicine, in part because of pioneers like Leonardo da Vinci, who studied
the human body ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(World 11–33) The implication was that the king could perform any action that he wanted to
perform, that this action would be sanctioned by God, and that the people had no recourse in the
event of injustice. During the Enlightenment, the Social Contract theory of government became
popular, in part due to abuse of power by European monarchs. This doctrine was popularized by the
political and philosophical writings of Locke, Hobbes, Kant, and Rousseau, among others. It held
that humanity had originally existed in a "state of nature," without any sort of government or law,
and that people entered a compact with other individuals. The people, in entering into the contract,
gave up some personal liberty to gain security and the other benefits of government intended to
secure law and order. (Government 7–22; Philosophy 19–22)
The social contract justification for the existence of government led to the establishment of the idea
of government by the consent of the governed, a view which now forms the basis for the
governments of the United States and other democratic countries. (Government 7–22)
Another philosophical idea which arose and was popular during the Enlightenment was the religious
philosophy of

Analysis Of Joseph Conrad 's Heart Of Darkness
Although the author Joseph Conrad never met the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,
who died more than a century before Conrad's birth, their distinct philosophies still have numerous
points of intersection, suggesting some fundamental truths within the structure of the human reality.
Through the novella, Heart of Darkness, Conrad details his perspectives on the faults of man and
reality as a whole, with views often coinciding with many of Leibniz's own, as found in his
numerous philosophical works. Consequently, the two perspectives combine together, like a
cyclopean image, to enhance and deepen each of the two men's philosophies on humanity.
Among Leibniz's many conceptual principles is that of perfection vs imperfection, as ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Consequently, Conrad's narrative and Leibniz 's philosophy support one another's contentions in that
every man has the capacity for evil, despite deriving the conclusion from two different means.
Due to man's ability for evil, both Conrad and Leibniz argue that a deterioration of these morals
exist when in penetrating and corrupt circumstances despite the commonality or "justice" in a
structured civilization. The greatest motive for working in the Congo is the grand opportunity to
obtain ivory. Meeting Kurtz in the Inner Station, Marlow experiences a "heavy, mute spell of
wilderness" that draws him "to the pitiless breast" all by the "awakening of forgotten and brutal
instincts, by the memory of gratified [...] passions" (Conrad 82). Conrad alludes that such force has
caused Kurtz to dwell and reside to savage manners. Although it may seem like only the powers of
darkness assaulted Kurtz, no "devil is too much of a devil" and it is indeed with the significant
combination of the personal, overwhelming desire for Ivory that lead to his deterioration. In
"Opinion on the Principles of Pufendorf", Leibniz believes it is self–evident that desire always drive
the man drives

The Most Important Fuel Of The World Is Energy Essay
The most important fuel in the world is energy. Energy is the capability to do work or the power
which can make changes in matter. We can use it in different ways in everyday life such as
transportation, entertainment, communication, personal comfort, agriculture and manufacturing. The
world will come to a standstill without energy. The best thing about energy is it can neither be
created nor be destroyed it just changes from one form of matter into another form.1 We can obtain
energy in a useful form by a system called Energy Harnessing Network. In this complicated system
we extract raw energy in the form of heat energy, light energy, solar energy etc and then transformed
it into fuel for example coal, natural gas, petroleum and electrical energy then stored it and use when
needed. The engineers did a lot of work on it and successfully did what was think impossible in the
earlier time. They harnessed energy in many different forms such as hydropower, solar power, wind
mills and nuclear power etc.
There are two main types of energy that is kinetic energy and potential energy. If the object is at rest
then the energy it possess is called potential energy and if the object is in motion then it possess
kinetic energy. A well–known scientist called Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, formulated another theory
of movement (flow) in view of kinetic energy and potential energy, which placed space as relative,
though Newton was altogether persuaded that space was outright. An imperative

Calculus Controversy Between Newton And Leibniz
Introduction Who was the first individual to invent the mathematical study of change known as
calculus? This was a question that was the premise of a dispute between two mathematicians, Isaac
Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. The discovery of a new branch of mathematics requires years of
research and trial–and–error experiments. That is why, when the controversy arose concerning the
genuine "Father of Calculus", one of the biggest intellectual controversies emerged. Isaac Newton
and Gottfried Leibniz each claimed that they established calculus as a true branch of mathematics
on their own. However, it is highly improbable that two men working independently of one another
reached the same conclusions on a topic as broad as modern calculus. These claims lead the public
to ask the question: "who was the great mastermind behind this now universally used branch of
science?" While it is true that both men contributed in content to Calculus, the controversial belief
that Leibniz plagiarized Newton's work, changing only a few minute details and publishing his
findings before Newton had a chance to publish his, is the fuel that caused this controversy to
become one of the greatest mathematical disputes in history. Historical events and mathematical
evidence dictate that Newton is the real father of calculus ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
After reviewing the evidence, it is undeniable that Leibniz was in possession of Newton's work
while he was developing his research on calculus. It was no coincidence that Leibniz was able to
publish his results on differential calculus after he saw Newton's book "De Principal" which
contained all of Newton's findings about fluxional calculus. Even if Leibniz did not copy Newton's
work exactly, he was at the very least was inspired by it, and his exposure to Newton's work allowed
him to formulate ideas about calculus that were just different enough from that of Newton's to use as
his

The Period Of The Elightenment: The Age Of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment, sometimes called the Age of Reason, refers to the time of the guiding
intellectual movement, called The Enlightenment. It covers about a century and a half in Europe.
From the perspective of socio–political phenomena, the period is considered to have begun with the
close of the Thirty Years' War (1648) and ended with the French Revolution (1789). The intellectual
movement known as the Enlightenment was spreading ideas about the equality and basic rights of
man and the importance of reason and scientific objectivity. François–Marie Arouet ( 1694 – 1778),
known by Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his
wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy ... Show more content on
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He stayed in the relative safety for most of the rest of his life, producing literary works. In 1778,
Voltaire returned to Paris for the first time in twenty years to see his last play The Tragedy Irene
performed. While he was there, he fell ill and died with the words "For God's sake leave me in
peace". First, Candide first appeared in early 1759 and it's considered as Voltaire's signature work,
and it is here that he levels his sharpest criticism against nobility, philosophy, the church, and
cruelty. It reflects Voltaire's lifelong aversion to Christian regimes of power and the arrogance of
nobility, but it also criticizes certain aspects of the philosophical movement of the Enlightenment. It
attacks the school of optimism that contends that rational thought can curtail the evils perpetrated by
human beings. Also, Candide doesn't meet the requirement for the novel indeed for the novella, but
it's closer to be a fable or parable since its meanings lie close to surface, and little happens within it
that is not designed to make a point in the ongoing argument. Often Candied associated with another
literary category that is satire means writing ridicules or mocks the failing of individuals,
institutions and

Mathematics Is That Of Pi ( Π )
One of the oldest and most commonly known and used concepts in mathematics is that of Pi (π). In
the earliest of know human civilizations, people realized the importance of finding the exact value
of π for practical reasons. Even by todays standards, we still only need to know the exact value of π
to a few decimal place values, although that hasn't stopped mathematicians from pursuing a more
accurate representation for its value throughout time.
The earliest know approximations for the value of π have been identified on ancient clay tablets,
dated 1900–1650 BC, from the Babylonian civilization which states the value of π as (25/8) = 3.125
(4) and from the Egyptian civilization, from the Rhind Papyrus(1650BC), which approximates the
value of π to be (16/9)^2 = 3.1605. (4) Although these earliest of approximations have been proven
to be within 1 percent of todays actual know value, it marks the point of obsession for
mathematicians to find an exact value for π.
The next advancement in determining a more accurate value didn't occur for more than another
1000 years. Around 250 BC, the Greek mathematician Archimedes developed an approach using
circumscribed and inscribed polygons to prove that the value of pi to be between (223/71) < π <
(22/7) (3.1408 < π < 3.1429). (23) This geometrical approach was predominantly used by
mathematicians for the next 1000 years, were in 1630 an exact value of π was found to 39 decimal
palaces. (12)
Sometime around the year 1425, a new

Man And Evil In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness
Although the author Joseph Conrad never met the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,
who died more than a century before Conrad's birth, their distinct philosophies still have numerous
points of intersection, suggesting some fundamental truths within the structure of the human reality.
Through the novella, Heart of Darkness, Conrad details his perspectives on the faults of man and
reality as a whole, with views often coinciding with many of Leibniz's own, as found in his
numerous philosophical works. Consequently, the two perspectives combine together, like a
cyclopean image, to enhance and deepen each of the two men's philosophies on humanity.
Conrad and Leibniz both note that man has an underlying vulnerability to evil. Among Leibniz's
many conceptual principles is that of perfection vs imperfection, as he claims that no being is
entirely flawed or completely ideal (Burnham, n.d.). Rather, all men possess varying magnitudes of
perfection, except God, however, whom Leibniz believes to be the embodiment of infinite
perfection (Burnham, n.d.). Continuing, Leibniz explains that man's limited perfection causes a lack
of good, in contrast to just an unequivocal inherent evil, that consequently allows man the ability to
create evil, arguing that evil and sin are only "negations of positive reality," a principle that
corresponds heavily with Leibniz's belief in "theodicy," which serves as an attempt to explain and
reconcile evil in the world with its creator, a

Mathematical Connection Essay
Mathematical Connection Mathematics has had an incredible impact on technology as we know it
today. Understanding this impact aids in understanding the history of how technology has developed
so thoroughly and what significant events happened to facilitate such an advanced society. A better
understanding can be derived by analyzing the historical background on the mathematicians, the
time periods, and the contributions that affected their society and modern society as well as specific
examples of how the mathematical developments affected society. Math had and has a great impact
in technology. During the 20th century mathematics made very quick advances on all fronts.
Mathematics sped up the development of symbolic logic as the ... Show more content on
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John Von Neumann –(1903–1957) was born in Hungary and studied in Switzerland, Budapest and
Berlin. In 1930 he immigrated to the United States to teach at Princeton University. Neumann
contributions were his development of the game theory as a new branch in mathematics. He is also
known for his contributions to the theory and design of electronic computers.
Alan Turing – (1912–1954) A British mathematician educated at Cambridge and Princeton
universities. He introduced the concept of a theoretical computing device when his published the
paper named "On Computable Numbers" in 1936. Turing was a pioneer working in computer
theory; he expanded his research studying artificial intelligence and biological forms.
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz – Gottfried Leibniz was born on July 1, 1646 in Leipzig, Saxony
Germany. He died November 14 1716 in Hannover, Hanover Germany. In the seventy years that he
lived he, he has accomplished many things as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist, engineer,
lawyer, moralist, theologian, philologist, and sinophile. As a philosopher, Leibniz wrote the
Théodicée in 1710. As a scientist and engineer, his writings are included in Gerhardt's Mathematical
Writings. Leibniz

Satire In Candide Analysis
Tim Cronin
French Literature 026
Prof. Degroult
Voltaire's Criticism of Enlightened Beliefs
Through The Eyes of Candide
Voltaire, one the Enlightenment's greatest leaders was well known for his use of satire to expose and
criticize vices of the 18th century. Through his writing, Voltaire successfully uses irony and parody
as a means to satirize what he believes is wrong with 18th–century life. In his novel Candide,
Voltaire focuses on many topics, specifically the pitfalls and dangers of optimism, the hypocrisy of
the Catholic Church, and political injustice. Although humorous, the irony and parody that exists in
the novel serve the purpose of exposing the Enlightenment's widely accepted views of political,
philosophical, and religious practices through the eyes of Candide.
Voltaire had an appreciation for the more liberal and free societies which he witnessed in Britain. He
believed that the political system in France was corrupt and favored the aristocracy while
undermining commoner's rights. In Candide, Voltaire parodies the Enlightenment's magnificent
view of lords as he describes the Baron of Westphalia:
The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle had not only a gate, but
even windows, and his great hall was hung with tapestry. He used to hunt with his mastiffs and
spaniels instead of greyhounds; his groom served him for huntsman; and the parson of the parish
officiated as his grand almoner. They called

Trial By Fire : The Forging Of Modern Physics
Trial By Fire: The Forging of Modern Physics
(DRAFT EDITION)
Most often, great minds are few and far between. It is an unusual circumstance for a collection of
brilliant thinkers to exist at the same time, and even more strange for them to collaborate or clash.
Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are a spectacular demonstration of this phenomenon.
Throughout their careers in mathematics and physics, the two often found themselves at arms over
everything from credit for discoveries to the nature of space itself. Despite both scientists producing
profound and influential work in their fields, many of their works contradict each other, and they
often clashed over findings. Although the the scientific developments of Newton and Leibniz were
often in contradiction to each other, the past, and the present, their works became essential to the
creation of more complete modern theories.
Of the conflicts that occurred between these great scientists, the two with the most profound impacts
were over the founding of calculus and the nature of the fabric of space as it relates to motion. With
regards to the debates over credit for calculus, feuding between the two scientists outlined their
personalities and methodologies of production, which varied greatly based on attitude and–
consequently–actions. Letters between the two, as well as publicly documented debate, not only
paint a portrait of the two scientists, but provide insight into their processes of deduction and how
they

Calculus, Leibniz and Newton Essay
It is interesting to note that the ongoing controversy concerning the so–called conflict between
Wilhelm Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton is one that does not bare much merit. Whether one
came up with the concepts of calculus are insignificant since the outcome was that future
generations benefited. However, the logic of their clash does bear merit. In proposing that he was
the first inventor, Leibniz states that "it is most useful that the true origins of memorable inventions
be known, especially of those that were conceive not by accident but by an effort of meditation. The
use of this is not merely that history may give everyone his due and others be spurred by the
expectation of similar praise, but also that the art of discovery ... Show more content on
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At age eighteen, Newton was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge. Leibniz decided to
acknowledge family tradition by studying law and philosophy at the University of Leipzig, where at
age seventeen, he was already defending his master's thesis, De Principio Individui. Newton's
mathematical acumen came to the fore when he read Rene Descartes' Geometry and John Wallis'
Arithmetica Infinitorium. It was around this time that he was convinced that he would arrive at a
conclusion where by analysis could be made on geometric curve via algebra–albeit calculus.
Furthermore, Newton would improve on Wallis' Infinite Series by devising proofs of the various
theorems. He was then conferred as a scholar at Trinity in 1664 but the following year, England was
hit with plague and Cambridge was no exceptions; the university closed till 1667. By the time,
Newton returned to Cambridge, he had already written material for Opticks, in which he stated "that
just a prism can split white light into this spectrum of colors, so can a second prism return the
separated colors into white light." Consequently, he also laid foundation for one his greatest works,
the law of universal gravitation–which would be published in his Principia by the 1680s. Now
speaking of calculus and improving on the work of John Wallis, he arrived at his methods of
fluxions and fluents (in his unpublished work De

Mathematics Is That Of Pi ( Π )
PI (π) One of the oldest and most commonly known and used concepts in mathematics is that of Pi
(π). In the earliest of know human civilizations, people realized the importance of finding the exact
value of π for practical reasons. Even by todays standards, we still only need to know the exact
value of π to a few decimal place values, although that hasn't stopped mathematicians from pursuing
a more accurate representation for its value throughout time.
The earliest know approximations for the value of π have been identified on ancient clay tablets,
dated 1900–1650 BC, from the Babylonian civilization which states the value of π as (25/8) = 3.125.
and from the Egyptian civilization, from the Rhind Papyrus(1650BC), which approximates the value
of π to be (16/9)^2 = 3.1605. Although these earliest of approximations have been proven to be
within 1 percent of todays actual know value, it marks the point of obsession for mathematicians to
find an exact value for π.
The next advancement in determining a more accurate value didn't occur for more than another
1000 years. Around 250 BC, the Greek mathematician Archimedes developed an approach using
circumscribed and inscribed polygons to prove that the value of pi to be between (223/71) < π <
(22/7) (3.1408 < π < 3.1429). This geometrical approach was predominantly used by
mathematicians for the next 1000 years, were in 1630 an exact value of π was found to 39 decimal
palaces.
Sometime around the year 1425, a new approach

The Influence of Rationalism on the French Revolution
Ben Jorgensen
Professor Wakefield
English 5
3 April 2013
The Influence of Rationalism on the French Revolution What was the driving force behind the
French Revolution? Many people may say it was financial, or political, and while I would agree that
these things were part of the force that propelled the French Revolution, I would assert that the
philosophies of the Enlightenment were the dominant force that blasted late eighteenth century
France into revolution . In his article, "The French Revolution: Ideas and Ideologies "Maurice
Cranston of History Today articulates that the Enlightenment philosophies were pivotal in the
revolutions inception. He writes that:
"The philosophes undoubtedly provided the ideas."
Cranston goes on to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The King shared his powers with nobody, and was answerable for its exercise to nobody but God."
(21)
The ancien regime government lacked reason, but was bursting with more than its fair share of
divine laws and rights that the "creator" had set in place in order to insure social stability. In fact, as
Doyle points out in his book, this concept that God had set forth a divine law to be followed was
directly stated in a document that parliament wrote:
"This social order is not only essential to the practice of every sound government: it has its origin in
divine law." (24)
The document goes on to say that:
"The infinite and immutable wisdom in the plan of the universe established an unequal distribution
of strength and character, necessarily resulting in inequality in the conditions of men within the civil
order..." (24)
This document summed up the ancien regimes ideology: God has placed the king the clergy, and
aristocracy above the common people and that is how it is, because that is how it has been. The
words irrational, divine, and superstitious come up many times when describing the ancien regimes
government and society; in fact, these things were actually integral to the maintenance of
government and society in France during the ancien regime. Indeed, you could not have this form of
government without divine law, irrational organization, and superstitious beliefs.

The Binary Number System In The Hindu And Boolean Algebra
In the modern world, binary numbers have great importance in computer coding as well as in
Boolean algebra Without the application of binary numbers, computers would not be able to exist or
communicate with each other. Binary numbers include a base two number system rather than the
base ten system which is used in a math class such as algebra. A base two system means that the
only numbers that are used in that system and in binary those numbers are 1 and 0. A base ten
number system beans that numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, and 0 are used. All numbers can be
converted from decimal, the base ten set of numbers, to binary and from binary to decimal allowing
computers to communicate. "The Hindu–Arabic system is based on ten different symbols and is
considered to be a base 10 system. Numeral systems with different bases have found use in
applications where a different base provides certain advantages" (Lande 514). The Hindu–Arabic
system is the decimal system that is used during a math class and the binary number system is used
for different functions in computers or Boolean algebra. Due to the Hindu–Arabic system and the
binary number system have different numbering bases, they must be converted to the other. The
binary number system is a base two system which has to be converted to a base ten if it was to be
expressed in decimal, the Hindu–Arabic system. The number 10011011 in binary would be 155 in
decimal. This process would be done by writing the binary number then

Calculus As A Part Of Modern Mathematics Education
Calculus (from Latin calculus, literally "small pebble used for counting")[1] is the mathematical
study of change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape and algebra is the study of
operations and their application to solving equations. It has two major branches, differential calculus
(concerning rates of change and slopes of curves),[2] and integral calculus (concerning
accumulation of quantities and the areas under and between curves);[3] these two branches are
related to each other by the fundamental theorem of calculus. Both branches make use of the
fundamental notions of convergence of infinite sequences and infinite series to a well–defined limit.
Generally, modern calculus is considered to have been developed in the 17th century by Isaac
Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Today, calculus has widespread uses in science, engineering and
economics[4] and can solve many problems that elementary algebra alone cannot.
Calculus is a part of modern mathematics education. A course in calculus is a gateway to other,
more advanced courses in mathematics devoted to the study of functions and limits, broadly called
mathematical analysis. Calculus has historically been called "the calculus of infinitesimals", or
"infinitesimal calculus". Calculus (plural calculi) is also used for naming some methods of
calculation or theories of computation, such as propositional calculus, calculus of variations, lambda
calculus, and process calculus.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1

My Roots Of Optimism
Where are my roots of optimism. The word optimism goes all the way back to the 1700s. A man
named Gottfried Leibniz, believes in the Christian God. He thought God does things for the best and
we should just accept what happens in life and act accordingly. Through his strong belief came the
creation of Philosophical Optimism. Philosophical Optimism is looking at all things positive, no
matter how bad things may be. With this belief, Leibniz, through his discoveries in science and
mathematics, was able to create Calculus. This concludes how Optimism first started with a man
with strong religious beliefs and powerful knowledge. We all have our own ways of how Optimism
came into our lives. Optimism for me became very prominent in my ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It gives me joy. Playing the violin is what gives me optimism. On a societal level, one point I would
like to bring up is how politics in today's society affects the ways of my optimism today. I am very
intrigued with the past 2016 presidential election. It came to my attention that there were many
rumors about how Clinton should've won the election or how Trump won fair and square. There is a
clear differences in America, but this is what makes us unified as a nation. We all have our own
opinions and express what we believe in, just like Gottfried Leibniz. Former President Obama once
stated "We are fortunate to be living in the most peaceful, most prosperous, most progressive era in
human history". He brings up a very good point. We should not be dictated by the controversial
issues and worry about the public affairs that happen in this world. I want to be able to have
optimism from this and learn, conquer, and accept life as it is. I want to be able to enjoy life to the
fullest. Optimism was just a natural trait I picked up in my life, especially with the amount of
influence my family had on me. They taught me that no one is perfect in this world and you will
make mistakes in life. Trust me they were right on that note. Regardless, I have always known to be
true to myself and tried to make my difficulties into opportunities. Even if I felt like giving up, I
knew that I will have a great reward in the end if I kept my

Voltaire Exposes the Fallacy of Optimism in Candide Essay
Voltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as "Optimism" (Durant and
Durant 724). Famous as a playwright and essayist, Voltaire's Candide is the book where he tries to
point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von Leibniz's theory of Optimism. He uses satire, and
techniques of exaggeration to contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the world in
general when men are meekly accepting of their fate. Leibniz, a German philosopher and
mathematician of Voltaire's time, developed the idea that the world they were living in at that time
was "the best of all possible worlds." This systematic optimism shown by Leibniz is the
philosophical system that believed everything already was for the best, no matter how ... Show more
Candide is the son of the Baron of Thunder–ten–tronckh's sister. Candide grows up in the Castle of
Westphalia and is taught by Dr. Pangloss, a man that Candide often looked to for insight and
understanding. One of Panglos many great beleifs is that all is for the best and that good can be
found in everything. Candide fell in love with a girl by the name of Lady Cunegonde who is
described as having extravagant beauty.
Candide is abruptly exiled from the castle when found kissing the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde.
Devastated by the separation from Cunegonde, his true love,
Candide sets out to different places in the hope of finding her and achieving total happiness. On his
journey, he faces a number of misfortunes, among them being tortured during army training, yet he
continues to believe that there is a "cause and effect" for everything. Candide is reunited with
Cunegonde, and regains a life of prosperity, but soon all is taken away, including his beloved
Cunegonde. He travels on, and years later he finds her again, but she is now fat and ugly. His wealth
is all gone and so is his love for the Baron's daughter. Throughout Candide, we see how accepting
situations and not trying to change or overcome obstacles can be damaging. Life is full of struggles,
but it would be nonproductive if people passively accepted whatever fate had in store for them,
shrugging off their personal responsibility. Voltaire believes

Mind and Body
Mind and Body The concept of mind and body interactions has been debated among many modern
philosophers. Some believe that our minds and bodies are different things, thus existing separately,
while others believe that they exist as a whole. In this paper, I will be introducing two rationalist
philosophical views regarding this topic, one which is by Rene Descartes and the other by Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz. Rationalists, in philosophical terms, are the ones who obtain their knowledge
through reasoning rather than the human senses. Descartes and Leibniz both have similar
perspectives, but Leibniz takes a slightly different approach to improve Descartes' argument. This
paper will first show Descartes' original argument, an example that proves the argument to be
invalid, and then lastly, a revised version of the argument with Leibniz's help. Rene Descartes is a
modern French philosopher, who is famous for his line, "I think, therefore I am." The meaning of
this quote is that he must exist because he has the ability to think. In Descartes most famous work,
The Meditations, he starts off by doubting everything, which is known as the Method of Doubt. He
believes that our senses are always deceiving us in some way and so our senses are unreliable in
proving anything. By this, he means that when we use our senses, such as our vision, to look at
something, the way that the object looks from afar is different from the way it looks upfront, thus,
deceiving us. However, Descartes

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Essay
Although Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz had no formal training as a mathematician, his contributions to
the field of mathematics are still evident today. His results and work laid the groundwork for more
thorough and rigorous treatments of calculus that would come later from various mathematicians.
One of his most enduring legacies is the notations he used for calculus, which are still used around
the world. Outside of mathematics Gottfried Leibniz made contributions to the fields of philosophy,
law, and politics.
Gottfried Leibniz was born to Friedrich Leibniz and Catharina Schmuck on July 1st, 1646 in
Leipzig, Saxony (Germany) (Ross, 2000). His father, Friedrich, was a professor of moral philosophy
at the University of Leipzig. Gottfried's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Gottfried graduated in 1662 with a bachelors degree in philosophy with his thesis De Principio
Individui (On the Principle of the Individual) (EGS, 2010). Two years later in 1664 Gottfried
defended his dissertation "Specimen Quaestionum Philosophicarum ex Jure collectarum", arguing
for both a theoretical and a pedagogical relationship between philosophy and law and was awarded
his Master's degree in philosophy (EGS, 2010). About a year later Gottfried received his bachelor's
degree in Law, his third degree from the University of Leipzig. In 1666 while trying to pursue his
doctorate in Law Leibniz was forced to leave the University of Leipzig due to political differences
between himself and his fellow students and faculty members (EGS, 2010). Gottfried continued his
pursuit of a Doctorate in law at the University of Altdorf, which he received in November of 1666.
Also in 1666 Gottfried published his first book, On the Art of Combinations (EGS, 2010). In it he
argued that "all our ideas are compounded from a very small number of simple ideas, which form
the alphabet of human thought. Complex ideas proceed from these simple ideas by a uniform and
symmetrical combination, analogous to arithmetical multiplication." (Rational, 2010)
After his years in school and earning four degrees, Gottfried's first paid position was interestingly as
an alchemist in Nuremberg

Research Paper On Gottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Leibniz was born in Germany on July 1, 1646 as Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz.
Gottfried's father died when he was 6, so he was raised by his single mother and godfather. He was
baptized on July 3rd at St. Nicholas Church. Gottfried's father was a professor of moral philosophy
at the University of Leipzig. Once his father died Gottfried inherited his personal library, and from
there on he studied his father's books and learned a great deal. By the age of 12, he was fluent in
Latin because that was the language his father's books were written in. In April 1661, Gottfried, age
15, enrolled into the same university his father had attended. A year later completed his learnings
and acquired his Bachelor's degree. At age 19, he finished

Leibniz and the Problem of Evil
LEIBNIZ'S CONCEPTION OF THE PROBLEM OF EVIL BY OKOJIE E. PETER
epo4escriva@yahoo.com MAY 2013 INTRODUCTION For many centuries, philosophers have
been discussing evil, how it exists in the world, and how this relates to God. The discussion on evil
and its relations to us is not an easy one though. It is commonly called the problem of evil. The
problem of evil in contemporary philosophy is generally regarded as an argument for atheism. The
atheist contends that God and evil are incompatible, and given that evil clearly exists, God cannot
exist. The problem is generally used to disprove God's existence by showing an inconsistency
between an all–powerful, all–good, and all–knowing God; and the existence of evil. Philosophers
over the centuries ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a
deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair. Love and knowledge, so far as they
were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of
cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless
old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a
mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.3
The Greek philosopher Epicurus is most likely the first recognized philosopher to ask how the
existence of evil could be compatible with the nature of God (The Wrath of God 13).4 According to
Epicurean philosophy, the notions of good and evil are identified with pleasure and pain
respectively. The Epicurean claim is that only pleasure is good. Accordingly, this translates into
"pursue pleasure (good) and avoid pain (evil)."5 David Hume in Dialogues Concerning Natural
Religion says of Epicurus: "Epicurus' old questions are yet unanswered. Is he (God) willing to
prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is
he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?"6 Even if Epicurus is regarded as the first to raise

Gottfried Leibniz: Renewable Sources Of Energy
Energy Energy is a crucial necessity and with the ever increasing need for it and the high and
fluctuating prices of oil, researchers are constantly coming up with newer and more sophisticated
alternative sources of energy. However, energy comes at a cost, as it is either expensive or it
possesses high health risks. This essay presents the concept of energy by discussing the two major
types of energy, the various forms it could take, including renewable sources of energy, energy
conservation and above all it talks about the safest and cleanest alternatives.
Gottfried Leibniz first coined the term energy from the concept vis viva to refer to the square totality
of an object's mass and its speed, where total vis viva is stored. Energy is ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Other types of energy lie between kinetic and potential energy or are an amalgamation of both types.
There are no definite forms of energy since possibilities of new forms of energy are limitless.
However, the various forms of energy in physical science include thermal, chemical, electric,
radiant, nuclear, magnetic, elastic, sound, mechanical, and luminous energies (Foland 13). Thermal
energy or heat is the energy in random motion of particles. Chemical energy refers to the energy
from the aggregate of positioning of electrons and protons. Radiant energy is the energy of
electromagnetic radiation while nuclear energy and electric potential energy is energy emanating
from nuclear fission and electrical processes respectively. Sound is a form of mechanical vibration,
which propagates through any mechanical medium. It is closely related to the ability of the human
ear to perceive noise.
Clean sources of energy basically refer to those that do not encompass the burning of coal,
petroleum or its products and the transformation of solid waste or nuclear division (Broyles 23).
Therefore, renewable types of energy could be termed as clean sources of power because they are
products of natural sources and do not emit hazardous by–products. Safe energy is not poisonous, is
healthy, renewable, and sustainable and does not have devastating effects on the lives of the users,
the

Use Of Irony In Candide
Gottfried Leibniz's philosophy is based on optimism. He believed that everything in this world is the
way for a reason. This is because it is all good's work and god are all–knowing and powerful. When
things seem to turn out poorly, just know that there is always a reason for why it is happening. There
is not a whole perfect world because that would be God since he is perfect. Voltaire completely
disagrees with Leibniz's philosophy, he displayed his criticism of his philosophy in his famous book
called Candide. In this novel, Voltaire uses irony to pick fun of Leibniz's philosophy. The main
character Candide and his teacher Pangloss travel around and face many hardships along their way.
One of these hardships is on their way to Lisbon there ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The good Jacques ran to his aid, and helped him to climb back on board, but in the process was
himself thrown into the sea under the eye of the sailor, who allowed him to drown without even
glancing at him"( Candide 9). Pangloss then explains to Candide that the there is a reason for
Jacques drowning in that specific sea.(Candide 9). This whole encounter is ironic because Jacques
was helping the sailor from falling off and then stabbed in the back and thrown of by the sailor. This
is a terrible situation that should not have occurred and Pangloss is still optimistic. His optimism is
making him blind to the reality. The struggles do not end there when they do reach Lisbon there are
a massive earthquake and fires all around them. After the storm has passed they helped the people
who are still around. One way Pangloss consoled them was saying, " All this is for the best, since if
there is a volcano at Lisbon, it cannot be somewhere else, since it is unthinkable that things should
not be where they are since everything is well"(Candie 11). Voltaire writes this ironically, Pangloss
is talking about how the volcano erupted at Lisbon because there's a reason for everything that
happens.

history of algebra Essay
Unlike geometry, algebra was not developed in Europe. Algebra was actually discovered (or
developed) in the Arab countries along side geometry. Many mathematicians worked and developed
the system of math to be known as the algebra of today. European countries did not obtain
information on algebra until relatively later years of the 12th century. After algebra was discovered
in Europe, mathematicians put the information to use in very remarkable ways. Also, algebraic and
geometric ways of thinking were considered to be two separate parts of math and were not unified
until the mid 17th century.
The simplest forms of equations in algebra were actually discovered 2,200 years before Mohamed
was born. Ahmes wrote ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Omar was also a poet, philosopher, and astronomer. Omar's works were translated in 1851, which
was research on Euclid's axioms. In the medieval period, he expanded on Khwarizmi's and the
Greeks mathematic works. He only worked with cubic equations only and focused on geometric and
algebraic solutions of equations. In 1145AD, Al–Khwarizmi's book was translated by Robert
Chester, which made it possible for algebra to be introduced to Europe. After algebra was
introduced in Europe, European mathematicians developed and expanded on algebra concepts. Even
though algebra began in the Arabic countries, once European mathematicians obtained the
information of algebra, they became the leaders of mathematical discoveries in the world
("Mathematics").
From the period of 1145AD – the late 16th century, many mathematicians developed on algebraic
concepts. However, it was not until the 1680's that the most remarkable discoveries were made
using algebra. Sir Isaac Newton was a very famous mathematician, English physicist, astronomer,
philosopher, and alchemist. During his period of study, he used algebra to describe universal
gravitation, develop the laws of motion, found orbits of the planets to be elliptical, discovered that
light was made of particles, discovered the rate of cooling objects, and the binomial theorem. His
most important works were the development of calculus. However, Newton did not work alone on
creating the

Voltaire 's Candide
Voltaire's Candide – Denouncing Providence
Eighteenth century France was ruled by the divine power of Louis le XIV, the regime of absolutisme
followed, restricting the liberties and creating a corrupt society founded on providence and religious
determinism. Les Philosophes des Lumières notably Voltaire instilled logic and reason to combat
theological and metaphysical solutions surrounding French populations whilst pushing for a
separation between the Catholic church and the state. Voltaire, also known as François–Marie
Arouet (1964–1778) wrote Candide as an objection to many optimistic philosopher's theories
surrounding providence and human will. His main purpose in Candide was to ridicule a German
optimistic philosopher known as ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The reference to the devastating earthquake demonstrates that misfortunes can happen to innocent
people and philosophizing that we live in the best possible worlds (i.e not acting for one's self) is no
solution or way to live a progressive life or to avert such tragedies, thus he denounces that acting for
one's self is a better option. There is nothing moral about the earthquake hence, there is certainly no
justification for such a disaster. Pangloss is demonstrating blind optimism as he states everything is
for the best, even in situations as dreadful as this, ridiculing Leibniz' theory of providence. Catriona
Seth PhD, a professor for 18th century French literature at Oxford University in her blog: Why is
there an earthquake in Candide? Discusses the Lisbon Earthquake present in Candide: "Following
the earthquake, the philosophy of optimism no longer seemed defensible to someone like Voltaire.
As he wrote to a correspondent on November 30th 1755, here is an argument against your optimism
[Lisbon earthquake]". Voltaire uses plenum and materia subtilis as an allusion in order to ridicule
Leibniz by comparing outdated theories (providence with the theory that light rays could pass
through subtle

Use Of Satire In Candide
In the novel Candide by the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher, Voltaire, the use of satire
is highly prevalent. Voltaire took many of the follies and views he disagreed with during the
Enlightenment and satirized them in this highly unrealistic and exaggerated novel. The events
throughout the novel, even if they have some connections or roots in historical events, are
seemingly preposterous and embellished because of Voltaire's heavy use of satire. However, Voltaire
merely uses these embellishments to accomplish his critique of certain parts of Enlightenment
thinking that he believed were foolish or incorrect. One of Voltaire's main uses of satire is his
satirization of the philosophical optimism held by some Enlightenment philosophers. For example,
the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, who is mentioned briefly in the novel by
the character Pangloss, is actually where the term 'best of all worlds' originates from (Voltaire, 139–
140). Voltaire uses the main, and title, character Candide to satirize the foolishness of philosophical
optimism by having Candide go through so many hardships to prove this to readers.
The Enlightenment was a great shift in thinking and in part was inspired by the scientific revolution
and lead to many great advancements (Lecture, 9/10/14). Great thinkers and philosophers
revolutionized the way the population, regardless of class, thought about various aspects of life.
From politics to religion–new ideas and ways of thinking

The American And French Revolutions Essay
Voltaire was born on 21 November 1694 in Paris, France, the most youthful of five youngsters in a
working class family. His dad was François Arouet, a legal official and minor treasury official; his
mom was Marie Marguerite d 'Aumart, from an honorable group of Poitou territory. Voltaire (real
name François–Marie Arouet) (1694 – 1778) was a French rationalist and essayist of the Time of
Edification. His knowledge, mind, and style made him one of France 's most noteworthy authors
and savants, regardless of the discussion he attracted. He was a candid supporter of social change
(counting the resistance of common freedoms, the flexibility of religion and organized commerce),
in spite of the strict oversight laws and cruel punishments of the period, and made utilization of his
sarcastic attempts to scrutinize Catholic creed and the French foundations of his day. Alongside
John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean–Jacques Rousseau, his works, and thoughts impacted
essential scholars of both the American and French Revolutions. He was a productive author and
delivered works in practically every artistic frame (plays, verse, books, expositions, chronicled and
logical works, more than 21,000 letters and more than two thousand books and leaflets). This essay
will cover, Voltaire 's life and Candide 's production, the explanation of the optimism, how Voltaire
uncovered the absence of ladies rights and the unfairness against them. (Cunegonde, the old lady,
and Paquette) stories, and Voltaire

Rene Descartes And The Philosopher's View On Rationalism
Rationalism is a philosophical view that appeals to scholarly and analytical reasoning as a source of
explanation. Philosophers use rationalism instead of their experiences and/or religious teachings to
understand human involvement in the world. It is dependant on the understanding that the real world
has a realistic design where all parts of it can be understood through analytical and relevant
rules.Various older writers sought out rationalism, generally it was Plato and those who adopted his
ideas.
In the 17th century there were several significant philosophical leaders that studied and created a
different variation of rationalism. They believed that the most essential beliefs were ingrained and
because of that humans inferred separate facts with full confidence. A few of them were Rene
Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Nicolas Malebranche, and Baruch Spinoza. They were
generally from France, the Netherlands, and Germany, therefore their new interpretations of
rationalism was labeled as Continental Rationalism.
Descartes is one of the earliest and very popular advocates of rationalism, he's usually even
considered the father of contemporary philosophy. Rene Descartes' remarkable additions spread to
arithmetic and physics. Sometimes his views were known as cartesianism. Descartes was confident
that knowledge of eternal truths could be accomplished by generalization on its own, without any
prior experience. Anything more would require background knowledge

Candide Satire Analysis
An Analysis of Satire in Candide Man is plagued with his own desire, leading to corruption and
hypocrisy that pollutes the known world. In this world, men are met with tragedy, ranging from
natural or Godly devastation, to the constructs he places on himself and to which he forces himself
to conform. However, many of them still refuse to acknowledge this adversity, pursuing blind
optimism. In his satirical novel, Candide, Voltaire exposes the foolishness of men and highlights the
self–destructive nature of the world, thereby challenging the concept of blind optimism and arguing
that one can be aware of their world and still enjoy life in it. Most specifically, Voltaire criticizes
German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz's through his own Leibnizian optimism, that this "is the best
of all possible worlds". Voltaire successfully refutes such ideology through the journey of his naive
adventurer, Candide, and eventually settles that one can lead a happy life without being blindly
optimistic. Early on Candide faces extreme adversity in the comfortable world he had previously
believed to be the "best of all possible worlds". Under the misguidance of Master Pangloss, whose
idiotic philosophy, or "metaphysico–theologo–cosmolonigology", which makes Candide's world and
castle the best of all that exists, giving Candide a sense of fallacious optimism (12). Pangloss's
philosophy, or lack thereof, represents the philosophy of Leibniz, and through exaggerating the
erroneous logic of Pangloss, such as that "the nose is formed for spectacles; therefore we wear
spectacles. The legs are visibly designed for stockings; therefore we wear stockings.", Voltaire
implicitly mocks and ridicules Leibniz's philosophy, painting him as a pseudo intellectual and giving
him a demeaning caricature as a wild and far–fetched idiot (12). Later into the book, Pangloss finds
his logic being tested through trials such as getting infected with syphilis (19), and being
unsuccessfully hung by the Inquisition (28). These interactions are meant to undermine and reject
Pangloss's philosophy, or rather Leibniz's philosophy, by juxtaposing the idea that this world is the
best of all possible, with extreme tragedy and downfall. Alongside this, the fact that

Newton's Negative Neglect
Newton's Negative Neglect Isaac Newton faced many hardships in his lifetime, yet managed to be
internationally famous for his genius mathematical and physical discoveries, and remarkable
inventions. Newton was extraordinary in the sense that he was able to endure complications in life
and still be an enormous success. The majority of individuals would have cracked under the
predicaments Newton faced. Newton overcame neglect by suppressing his emotions, defeating
limitations of his time, and becoming one of the most noteworthy mathematicians and physicists in
history. Isaac Newton had a tragic and unfortunate life ever since he was born. Three months prior
to Newton's birth, his father died. Then, when Newton was three years old, his ... Show more
The time limitations imposed on Newton seemed to be no match to his genius, besides the fact of
the general public and others denying his new discoveries. Additionally, Newton overcame his time
limitations by contributing new inventions and technology to the world. One of his most well known
inventions is the pet door, which he created to end the problem of pets constantly scratching or
standing and waiting at a door. His other popular invention is a greatly improved telescope. His
telescope was more advanced than previous telescopes, due to his proprietary use of mirrors to look
at objects at a distance ("Sir Isaac Newton;" Ball). This advancement in telescopes opened up
numerous possibilities for astronomers. Newton's inventions further proved how he overcame even
technological barriers of his time. Another issue Newton faced was false accusations. Newton had a
dislike for publishing his works, until it seemed as if others were beginning to reveal the same
things he did. For example, a man named Gottfried Leibniz began uncovering things in the field of
calculus, a field Newton claimed to discover well before Leibniz had. Newton was then inclined to
publish his work in calculus, just before Leibniz did, which led to major controversy to who actually
uncovered the secrets of calculus. It is still in controversy today as to whether Newton plagiarized
Leibniz's works, but Newton is widely known as the original father of calculus

How Did Isaac Newton Contribute To The Discovery Of Calculus
Calculus is a means for calculating the way quantities vary with each other, rather than just the
quantities themselves. Mathematicians everywhere contributed to the development of Calculus.
However, we usually give credit to Isaac Newton and Gottfried William Leibniz. Today, the credit is
given to both men, however, in the 1600s a controversy occurred over which of them deserved
credit. Isaac Newton is a very well known scientists and is recognized as one of the most
accomplished mathematicians. He was born in 1643, and began the discovery of Calculus in 1666.
However, he did not publish his work until thirty–two years later in 1704. Newton claims that he
began working on the discovery of calculus in 1666, but he did not publish it. Gottfried

The Creation Of Calculus, Gottfried Leibniz And Isaac Newton
Today, Calculus is one of the most important branches of mathematics with applications in science,
engineering and economics. But who invented this wonderful tool? As with many questions of
invention, the answer is a little complicated. Most mathematicians will tell you that two men
deserve the credit for the development of modern calculus, Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton. Of
course, Newton and Leibniz were merely the next links in a long chain of discoveries that led to the
creation of modern calculus. The ancient Greeks had first dipped their feet into the field with the
famous mathematician Archimedes being the first to find the tangent to a curve and Antiphon of
Athens developing the method of exhaustion, an early technique to compute the area of a region.
Then the Indians added their own discoveries with the astronomer Aryabhata expressing an
astronomical problem in the form of a differential equation and Parameshvara of Kerala developing
an early version of the mean value theorem in the fifteen hundreds.
Finally, during the European enlightenment, men like Fermat, Pascal, and Isaac Barrow further
pursued the emerging new field developing the concept of the derivative. Barrow even offered the
first proof of the fundamental theorem of calculus linking the concepts of differentiation and
integration; however, it was one of Barrow's young students, Isaac Newton who would make the
next big splash in the creation of the art of calculus. In Isaac's eighty–four years, he

Optimism as a Theme for Candide Essay
Optimism as a Theme for Candide
Just as on the title, Candide, or Optimism, Optimism is also used as a major theme. Voltaire's satire
of philosophical optimism is one of the major issues of Candide. Throughout the story, satirical
references to "the best of all possible worlds" contrast with natural catastrophes and human
wrongdoing. According to Wikipedia, "optimism, the opposite of pessimism, is a lifeview where the
world is looked upon the as a positive place. Optimists generally believe that people are inherently
good. These people are said to have a "positive" outlook on life, believing that given time, things
will work out in the end." Also according to Wikipedia, "In philosophy, optimism is linked with the
name of Gottfried ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Private misfortunes make for public welfare," Pangloss concludes." This is true in a optimistic
society According to SparkNotes.com:
"Pangloss and his student Candide maintain that "everything is for the best in this best of all
possible worlds." This idea is a reductively simplified version of the philosophies of a number of
Enlightenment thinkers, most notably Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz. To these thinkers, the
existence of any evil in the world would have to be a sign that God is either not entirely good or not
all–powerful, and the idea of an imperfect God is nonsensical. These philosophers took for granted
that God exists, and concluded that since God must be perfect, the world he created must be perfect
also. According to these philosophers, people perceive imperfections in the world only because they
do not understand God's grand plan. Because Voltaire does not accept that a perfect God (or any
God) has to exist, he can afford to mock the idea that the world must be completely good, and he
heaps merciless satire on this idea throughout the novel. The optimists, Pangloss and Candide, suffer
and witness a wide variety of horrors—floggings, rapes, robberies, unjust executions, disease, an
earthquake, betrayals, and crushing ennui. These horrors do not serve any apparent greater good, but
point only to the cruelty and folly of humanity and the indifference of the natural world. Pangloss
struggles to find justification for the terrible things in the world, but his

The Discovery Of Calculus : Newton And Gottfried Von...
Throughout history, there have been numerous mathematical discoveries, but perhaps none of these
were met with the controversy of the discovery of Calculus. In the 1600s, two men, Isaac Newton
and Gottfried von Leibniz both began the study of differential and integral Calculus. During the
17th century, plagiarism was an extremely serious offense and second inventors were often put in
the position to defend their right to the topic and against suspicion. Newton and Leibniz spent many
years with their respective supporters defending their claim to the discovery of Calculus although
today historians and mathematicians agree that Newton and Leibniz independently and without
knowledge of the other's work discovered the basis and methods for differential and integral
Calculus.
Gottfried Leibniz was born on July 1, 1646, in Germany to a wealthy family; his father was a
professor of moral philosophy. When young, Leibniz attended the Nicolai School, but mostly taught
himself out of his father's library. [1] He later went on to study at the University of Leipzig where he
focused on law. While studying at university he came in contact with many great philosophers such
as Bacon, Hobbes, and Descartes. [1] In 1666, Leibniz was denied his Doctorate of Law due to his
youth causing him to leave Leipzig, this same year he wrote his first book on philosophy. [2] Upon
leaving Leipzig, he met Johann Christian von Boyneburg and was hired as his assistant and used
this position to gain

Philosophy in Mathematics Essay
Philosophy in Mathematics
Mathematics has contributed to the alteration of technology over many years. The most noticeable
mathematical technology is the evolution of the abacus to the many variations of the calculator.
Some people argue that the changes in technology have been for the better while others argue they
have been for the worse. While this paper does not address specifically technology, this paper rather
addresses influential persons in philosophy to the field of mathematics. In order to understand the
impact of mathematics, this paper will delve into the three philosophers of the past who have
contributed to this academic. In this paper, I will cover the views of three philosophers of
mathematics encompassing their ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At this time it was customary for men of his stature to choose from church or army, which he would
serve. Choosing the latter position, Descartes joined the army in 1617.
In an event of chance, Descartes stumbled upon Isaac Beeckman, head of the Dutch College at Dort,
who would translate a sign off the streets. This sign was in actuality a challenge to anyone to solve a
geometrical problem (Wilkins, D.). Within a few hours, with help from Descartes' respect and
appreciation of mathematics, he found a solution and a friendship was formed between Beeckman
and Descartes. This unexpected turn of events fueled Descartes' contempt of his life in the army; but
due to family influence and tradition, he remained a soldier until 1621 (Wilkins, D.). Descartes was
25 years old.
The next couple of years found him relocated all around Europe until he settles in Paris in 1626. In
the five years from when he left the army until his alighting in Paris, Descartes had devoted his life
to the study of pure mathematics. There, in Paris, Descartes would live for two years until Cardinal
de Berulle, founder of the Oratorians, urged on Descartes the duty of "devoting his life to the
examination of truth." (Wilkins, D.). Now 1628, Descartes moved again, this time to Holland, to
secure himself from interruption. He would spend the next twenty years in Holland, focusing on
philosophy and mathematics.
His time in Holland

The Use of Satire in Voltaire’s Candide by Gottfried...
The Use of Satire in Voltaire's Candide Satire. According to dictionary.com it is "the use of humor,
irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the
context of contemporary politics and other topical issues". During a time when going against the
common mindset, which at the time was philosophical optimism, was rare and often looked down
upon, using satire in order to not only communicate one's beliefs but also mock those who shared
the mainstream train of thought was key. The use of satire in Voltaire's Candide aids in the
exhibition of his pessimistic mindset towards the social, religious, philosophical, political, and
scientific beliefs that were favored during the Age of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Despite not believing that God created the best possible world to live in, Voltaire did believe in God.
The European Graduate School published a biography of Voltaire which remarked "Voltaire was
also a fierce critique of religious traditions but that is not to say that he was averse to the idea of a
supreme being. His understanding of God was deist, he reasoned that the existence of God was a
question of reason and observation rather than of faith". This demonstrates that he did believe in and
accept God, though in an unorthodoxed way, relying wholly on his reason and observations. Not
only did these unique beliefs and idea spark some harsh feelings towards Leibniz, but they also
forced Voltaire to better mask his criticism. Thus, the employment of satire in his novels,
specifically Candide. Throughout Candide Voltaire mercilessly satirizes and mocks many aspects of
philosophical optimism. One of the most prevalent examples of this is displayed through Candide's
teacher, Pangloss. Acting as a stand–in for Leibniz in the novel, Voltaire portrays him as both
ignorant and arrogant, initially introducing him as Candide's "metaphysico–theologo–
cosmoniogoly"(Voltaire 15) teacher. Pangloss's egocentric personality comes through when James
the Anabaptist fell overboard on their way to Lisbon. About to jump in after him, Candide is stopped
by his wise teacher who proclaims "the Lisbon harbor was formed expressly for the Anabaptist to
drown in"

Gottfried Leibniz Is A Strong Proponent Of The Idea That
Gottfried Leibniz is a strong proponent of the idea that everything exists for a reason and that God is
the ultimate reason that leads to the creation of our world, the best of all possible worlds. Using the
principle of sufficient reason, Leibniz helps us understand the existence of substance and how each
substance is synthesized for some particular purpose. He then claims that inevitably the PSR can be
indefinitely applied, and eventually leads us back to the existence of God as the main source.
Leibniz asserts that under the circumstances provided by the nature of God, the world that is created
is the best possible world, as anything else would violate the implications of the PSR. Although
Leibniz's proposal of the PSR and his ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ultimately, Leibniz argues, if we work back far enough along the chain, we reach a point where we
can no longer comprehend a reason for something to happen. This is solved by introducing God as
the ultimate reason behind anything. Leibniz does not necessarily argue that God is an omnipotent
or omnipresent being, but more so uses the concept of God to encompass the motivation for all that
is unexplainable. He suggests that whatever reasons we cannot comprehend must be reasons beyond
our capability to understand and only fall to God as their creator. God becomes the rational
explanation that is necessary to end the chain of inquiry created by the PSR. There is more to God
than just being the ultimate reason for things. Leibniz argues that God is motivated to pick the most
rational and perfect world there is. An irrational world would not exist, according to the PSR, as it
would not serve its purpose as holistically as a rational world could. Unlike Descartes, who was a
proponent of the idea that whatever God does is good, Leibniz thinks that rationality precedes God
and that God's "reason" for a particular action is that it objectively is the most rational. Thus God's
actions are good in the sense that they are the most ideal. God's rationality allows for a universe
with minimal laws but the largest amount of phenomena. God does whatever is most rational and
creates substances that will serve their purpose the

Leibniz Rationalism

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