It is a good thing to proceed in order and to establish propositions. This is the way to gain ground and to progress with certainty. Gottfried Leibniz More Quotes by Gottfried Leibniz More Quotes From Gottfried Leibniz Whence it follows that God is absolutely perfect, since perfection is nothing but magnitude of positive reality, in the strict sense, setting aside the limits or bounds in things which are limited. Gottfried Leibniz atheism perfect reality I also take it as granted that every created thing, and consequently the created monad also, is subject to change, and indeed that this change is continual in each one. Gottfried Leibniz granted words-of-wisdom subjects ..This is why the ultimate reason of things must lie in a necessary substance, in which the differentiation of the changes only exists eminently as in their source; and this is what we call God. Gottfried Leibniz differentiation words-of-wisdom lying Each portion of matter may be conceived of as a garden full of plants, and as a pond full of fishes. But each branch of the plant, each member of the animal, each drop of its humors, is also such a garden or such a pond. Gottfried Leibniz ponds garden animal It's easier to be original and foolish than original and wise. Gottfried Leibniz wise foolish easy The larger the mass of collected things, the less will be their usefulness. Therefore, one should not only strive to assemble new goods from everywhere, but one must endeavor to put in the right order those that one already possesses. Gottfried Leibniz strive should order Indeed in general I hold that there is nothing truer than happiness, and nothing happier and sweeter than truth. Gottfried Leibniz words-of-wisdom For since it is impossible for a created monad to have a physical influence on the inner nature of another, this is the only way in which one can be dependent on another. Gottfried Leibniz influence impossible way But in simple substances the influence of one monad over another is ideal only. Gottfried Leibniz philosophical substance simple The monad, of which we shall speak here, is nothing but a simple substance which enters into compounds; simple, that is to say, without parts. Gottfried Leibniz words-of-wisdom substance simple When a truth is necessary, the reason for it can be found by analysis, that is, by resolving it into simpler ideas and truths until the primary ones are reached. It is this way that in mathematics speculative theorems and practical canons are reduced by analysis to definitions, axioms and postulates. Gottfried Leibniz words-of-wisdom analysis ideas The past is pregnant with the present. Gottfried Leibniz pregnant past Therefore, I have attacted [the problem of the catenary] which I had hitherto not attempted, and with my key [the differential calculus] happily opened its secret. Gottfried Leibniz keys problem secret I also readily admit that there are animals, taken in the ordinary sense, that are incomparably larger than those we know of, and I have sometimes said in jest that there might be a system like ours which is the pocketwatch of some enormous giant. Gottfried Leibniz taken ordinary animal Nature does not make leaps. Gottfried Leibniz leap doe I have seen something of the project of M. de St. Pierre, for maintaining a perpetual peace in Europe. I am reminded of a device in a cemetery, with the words: Pax perpetua ; for the dead do not fight any longer: but the living are of another humor; and the most powerful do not respect tribunals at all. Gottfried Leibniz powerful fighting europe Virtue is the habit of acting according to wisdom. Gottfried Leibniz virtue habit acting For things remain possible, even if God does not choose them. Indeed, even if God does not will something to exist, it is possible for it to exist, since, by its nature, it could exist if God were to will it to exist. Gottfried Leibniz ifs doe Of what use would it be to you, sir, to become King of China on condition that you forgot what you have been? Would it not be the same as if God, at the same time he destroyed you, created a King in China? Gottfried Leibniz And there must be simple substances, because there are compounds; for the compound is nothing but a collection or aggregatum of simples. Gottfried Leibniz words-of-wisdom substance simple
