The Metaphysics of Leibniz

Martin Heidegger

Newcomb Livraria Press

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A new 2024 translation of Martin Heidegger's early work "The Metaphysics of Leibniz", originally published in 1923 as the last of his Marburg lectures. This edition contains a new afterword by the Translator, a timeline of Heidegger's life and works, a philosophic index of core Heideggerian concepts and a guide for terminology across 19th and 20th century Existentialists. This translation is designed for readability and accessibility to Heidegger's enigmatic and dense philosophy. Complex and specific philosophic terms are translated as literally as possible and academic footnotes have been removed to ensure easy reading. This lecture was given in the summer semester of 1928 as an examination of Leibniz. The first Marburg semester of 1923/24 dared the corresponding discussion with Descartes, which was then included in "Being and Time" (§§ 19-21), and here he concludes his series on Continental Metaphysics. Heidegger focuses on the essential qualities of the monad, especially its aspects as "vis primitiva," "substantia," and "monas," and how these elements contribute to the understanding of being and substance in Leibniz's philosophy. Heidegger interprets the monad as a fundamental unit of being that encompasses both unity and multiplicity, a concept deeply rooted in Leibniz's metaphysics. In doing so, he engages with the concept of the "substantiality of substance" and examines the nature of being as understood by Leibniz and its implications for the broader philosophical discourse. Heidegger's analysis delves into the dynamic nature of the monad, characterized by its inherent "urge" ("Drang") and its ability to unify and manifest reality. He closely examines the relationship between the monad's internal structure and its external expression in the world, emphasizing Leibniz's distinction between the internal and external aspects of being. This discussion extends to the metaphysical implications of monadology, where Heidegger addresses how individual monads reflect the complexity and diversity of the universe.