Leibniz on Causation and Agency

by Julia Jorati

Overview

This book presents a comprehensive examination of Gottfried Leibniz's views on the nature of agents and their actions. Julia Jorati offers a fresh look at controversial topics including Leibniz's doctrines of teleology, the causation of spontaneous changes within substances, divine concurrence, freedom, and contingency, and also discusses widely neglected issues such as his theories of moral responsibility, control, attributability, and compulsion. Rather than focusing exclusively on human agency, she explores the activities of non-rational substances and the differences between distinctive types of actions, showing how the will, appetitions, and teleology are key to Leibniz's discussions of agency. Her book reveals that Leibniz has a nuanced and compelling philosophy of action which has relevance for present-day discussions of agency. It will be of interest to scholars and students of early modern philosophy as well as to metaphysicians and philosophers of action.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316642610
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/09/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	5.91(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Julia Jorati is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Ohio State University. She has published numerous articles on Leibniz's metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and ethics, in publications including the Journal of the History of Philosophy, The Leibniz Review, Philosophy Compass, and several edited volumes.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Monads and their actions; 2. Spontaneity; 3. Teleology; 4. Attributability and divine concurrence; 5. Freedom; 6. Control, weakness, and compulsion; 7. Moral agency.

Editorial Reviews

'Jorati's book is a much-needed addition to Leibniz scholarship. I highly recommend it to all commentators and students of Leibniz, as well as those philosophers of action whose are interested either in the historical debate or in some foundational work from Leibniz relevant to their own work.' Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

'Julia Jorati’s book is a valuable addition to the Leibniz literature. It rightfully places Leibniz’s views on agency at the heart of his philosophy and demonstrates how those views are expressed in distinct but related ways in his metaphysics, moral psychology and moral philosophy. Jorati advances an original interpretation of how the different parts of the picture fit together, acknowledging the competing demands of uniformity and variety in Leibniz’s theorizing. She engages widely and responsibly with Leibniz’s writings and with the secondary literature. All in all, this is an excellent work of historically-situated philosophy, which repays study by anyone interested in Leibniz’s thought.' Donald Rutherford, University of California, San Diego

'Jorati's impressive book certainly brings final causation and teleology clearly and comprehensively into the account of Leibnizian monads.' Marc Bobro, Santa Barbara City College

'Leibniz on Causation and Agency provides insightful treatment of overlooked aspects of Leibniz’s philosophy that ought to change the way we interpret his thought.' Joseph Anderson, Journal of the History of Philosophy

From the Publisher