“We never have a full demonstration, although there is always an underlying reason for the truth, even if it is only perfectly understood by God, who alone penetrated the infinite series in one stroke of the mind.” IfsMindReasonUnderstoodInfiniteSeriesStrokesDemonstration Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“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?” IfsHas BeensUseConditionsKingsChinaDestroyedReincarnation Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“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.” IfsDoe Book:Leibniz: Philosophical Essays Source: Leibniz: Philosophical Essays
“If you have a clear idea of a soul, you will have a clear idea of a form; for it is of the same genus, though a different species.” IfsIdeasDifferentSoulFormClearSpecies Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“If we could sufficiently understand the order of the universe, we should find that it exceeds all the desires of the wisest men, and that it is impossible to make it better than it is, not only as a whole and in general but also for ourselves in particular, if we are attached, as we ought to be, to the Author of all, not only as to the architect and efficient cause of our being, but as to our master and to the final cause, which ought to be the whole aim of our will, and which can alone make our happiness.” IfsMenShouldWholeDesireOrderUniverseCausesImpossibleParticularMastersOughtAimFinalsArchitectEfficientExceedWisestWisest Man Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“It is unworthy of excellent men to lose hours like slaves in the labor of calculation which could be relegated to anyone else if machines were used.” IfsMenScienceUsedHoursLosesLaborMachinesSlaveExcellentCalculationsUnworthy Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“Although the whole of this life were said to be nothing but a dream and the physical world nothing but a phantasm, I should call this dream or phantasm real enough, if, using reason well, we were never deceived by it.” IfsWorldLifeShouldWellsSaidRealReasonEnoughWholeDreamMathematicsMathThis LifeMathematicalDeceived Author:Gottfried Leibniz
“If we were magically shrunk and put into someone's brain while she was thinking, we would see all the pumps, pistons, gears and levers working away and we would be able to describe the workings completely, in mechanical terms, thereby completely describing the thought processes of the brain. But that description would not contain any mention of thought! It would contain nothing but descriptions of pumps, pistons, levers!” IfsThinkingWould BeAbleProcessTermBrainProgrammingDescriptionDescribingGearsPumpsLeversThought Process Author:Gottfried Leibniz
