The possibility of a beginning: Leibniz and the critique of divine indifference in Essais de Théodicée

Abstract

In his early studies, Leibniz was particularly interested in criticizing the Cartesian theory of the free creation of eternal truths. His most important works and theories have been critically compared to Descartes’s doctrine and master hypotheses. The present article is an attempt to analyze the philosophical reasons for his obsession, and concludes that such preoccupation was mostly due to Leibniz’s need to preserve an inherent moral order within the realm of divine essence.