Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the 17th-century German polymath, stands as one of history’s most extraordinary intellectual figures. Operating at the crossroads of mathematics, philosophy, and science, his relentless curiosity shaped groundbreaking contributions across disciplines. Yet, as much as he is celebrated, he is also misunderstood. In The New Yorker, Anthony Gottlieb reviews two new books—Audrey Borowski’s Leibniz in His World: The Making of a Savant and Michael Kempe’s The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Life of Leibniz in Seven Pivotal Days—to delve into the profound complexities of Leibniz’s life and thought.
A Visionary Ahead of His Time
Leibniz’s intellectual scope was unparalleled, spanning diplomacy, technology, theology, and the foundations of modern computing. His seminal achievements, such as co-developing calculus and creating binary arithmetic, continue to shape the world. As Gottlieb notes, Leibniz’s philosophical optimism—a belief that this world is the best possible creation of a benevolent God—offered a framework for reconciling the existence of evil with divine purpose.
Philosopher John Searle once remarked: “For sheer intelligence, probably the most intelligent philosopher who ever lived and perhaps the most intelligent human being who ever lived was Gottfried Leibniz.” Indeed, Leibniz’s brilliance sought to unify diverse realms of knowledge, embodying the Enlightenment ideal of intellectual harmony.
Borowski and Kempe reveal how his relentless ambition often clashed with the limitations of his era. Despite many unrealized projects, his legacy as a thinker striving to connect the dots across disciplines remains unmatched.
The Optimism that Endured
Leibniz’s philosophical optimism has long invited both admiration and ridicule. Voltaire’s Candide famously lampooned this idea through the character Dr. Pangloss, portraying it as naive and absurd. However, as Gottlieb explains, Leibniz’s optimism was not mere blind faith but a deeply reasoned response to theological and metaphysical challenges. His conviction in the rationality and order of the world reflects a profound belief in human reason’s ability to uncover truth.
Seven Pivotal Days
In The Best of All Possible Worlds, Michael Kempe structures Leibniz’s life around seven defining days, each representing moments of triumph or challenge that shaped his intellectual journey. From his groundbreaking work in calculus to his diplomatic endeavors across Europe, Kempe paints a vivid portrait of a man devoted to harmonizing science, philosophy, and politics in the service of progress.
A Legacy of Interdisciplinary Genius
Gottlieb’s essay underscores Leibniz’s enduring relevance as a model of interdisciplinary thinking. In an era increasingly fragmented by specialization, his belief in the interconnectedness of all knowledge serves as a timeless reminder of the power of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
For those fascinated by the mind of a genius who strove to reconcile the divine, the rational, and the practical, The New Yorker’s exploration of these two new works offers a compelling reintroduction to Leibniz’s extraordinary life and ideas.
Read the full essay by Anthony Gottlieb in The New Yorker.