PHL210Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Ontological Argument, Bertrand Russell, Emergence
Document Summary
What motivated leibnitz in monadology was dissatisfaction for descartes explanation of descartes. Leibniz sees the implication: descartes endorsing view that matter is infinitely divisible. Descartes: divide the matter into smaller and smaller bits, where does this stop. Each division can have a smaller division. Leibniz problem: we have no notion of simple unitary substance. Matter is infinitely divisible: infinite regress that never ends. Only can get around infinite regress by postulating a notion of an ultimate substance that does not have those properties of matter. Must be entities that underlie matter, the real substances that give rise to the perception we have of matter as a material thing. Problem of descartes view of substance: substance is inert. No explanation, no explanation for movement or change in matter, how matter changes their form. No form of activity if it is simple extension. Physical world: lots of change and activity in physical objects.
