A necessary compendium of a formidable oeuvre | Philosophical Essays

Great working translation of key works. | Philosophical Essays | Gottfried Wilhelm, Freiherr von Leibniz

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	• Philosophical Essays Gottfried Wilhelm, Freiherr von Leibniz Hackett Publishing Company, 1989 - 366 pages average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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Useful, flawed

Garber and Ariew did us a great service in pulling these materials together in a single inexpensive volume in English. Their choices for inclusion are terrific. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for their translations. Especially in the translations from French there are dozens of errors, many of them fairly serious. If you would like a list of them - or of the ones I have noticed

A necessary compendium of a formidable oeuvre

The greatness of Leibniz is undermined by the vastness of his oeuvre. It stands of no single definitive works. Like the monads that he espoused, Leibniz's writings are here, there and everywhere, each bit mirroring the whole--the universe that Leibniz envisioned. Short of an encyclopedia of Leibniz's oeuvre, this book can serve as a nearly-comprehensive collection of the 'goods.' The major pieces are kept in their entirety. Included with the likes of 'Discourse on Metaphysics,' 'New System,' 'Specimen of Dynamics,' and 'The Monadology' are formidable chunks of Leibniz's letters and occasional pieces.

To do justice to Leibniz is to immerse oneself in this great labrynth of thought. Perhaps one day a Renaissance of Leibnizian studies will flourish on the account of this collection.

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Great working translation of key works.

Hackett offers once again an inexpensive translation in lucid prose. This volume features the important shorter works of Leibniz's corpus, including the "Monadology," and "Discourse on Metaphysics," together with Leibniz's correspondence with his contemporaries. Each of the works is prefaced by a short introduction, helpful for placing it in context. Editorial footnotes helpfully point out the nuance of Leibniz's language. Overall, great working translation for philosophical study or research.

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