Leibniz

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716)

German polymath — philosopher, mathematician, jurist and diplomat — counted among the great rationalists of the seventeenth century. He developed the differential and integral calculus independently of Newton and formulated a metaphysical system centered on the monads and pre-established harmony. He spent most of his career in the service of the House of Hanover.[3] [4] [5]

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Life and works

YearEvent
1 July 1646Born in Leipzig (21 June by the Julian calendar then in use; 1 July by the Gregorian, as Britannica records).[4]
1661Enters the University of Leipzig, beginning his formation in philosophy and law.[3]
1667Completes his doctorate in law; the same year he meets Baron von Boineburg, who secures him a position at the court of the Elector of Mainz.[3]
1672–1676Diplomatic mission in Paris, then the center of European science, with a brief journey to London (1673); he frequents the leading savants of the age.[3] [4]
late 1675Lays the foundations of the differential and integral calculus, per Britannica.[4]
1676Enters the service of the House of Hanover as librarian to Duke Johann Friedrich; on the way, meets Spinoza in Amsterdam (18–21 November).[3]
1686Writes the Discourse on Metaphysics and begins the correspondence with Arnauld, central expositions of his mature metaphysics.[3]
1710Publishes the Essays of Theodicy, the only philosophical book he published in his lifetime.[3]
1714Writes the Monadology and the Principles of Nature and Grace, final syntheses of his system; that year his patron Georg Ludwig becomes George I of England, but Leibniz remains in Hanover.[3]
14 November 1716Dies in Hanover.[3] [4]

Reception in the COF

Present in 144 of the 589 transcription files of the Curso Online de Filosofia; 17 lectures engage him substantially (5 or more mentions). The most engaged lectures:

This section documents what Olavo said and when — never what the philosopher "really" meant. Characterizations are Olavo’s, tied to a lecture by number and date.

Lecture (aula)DateMentions
1522012-04-2817
722010-08-2916
1222011-09-1710
1242011-10-019
2392014-02-159
2402014-02-228
2862015-03-287
192009-08-156
702010-08-146
1202011-09-036
568—6
852010-11-275
932011-02-055
1392012-01-285
1712012-09-085

A dash in the date column means the transcription file carries no verified date — an undated file, not an undated lecture. Counts are accent-insensitive, word-boundary matches over the public community transcription corpus.[1] [2]

References

  1. COF — community transcriptions of the Curso Online de Filosofia (585 lectures) — Community transcription repository (upstream declares CC0 for the transcription work; the lectures remain the estate's)
  2. COF em Áudio — lecture audio collection — Internet Archive (community upload)
  3. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  4. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz — Encyclopaedia Britannica
  5. Gottfried Leibniz: Metaphysics — Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy