Leibniz and the Environment

The work of seventeenth-century polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz has proved inspirational to philosophers and scientists alike. In this thought-provoking book, Pauline Phemister explores the ecological potential of Leibnizs dynamic, pluralist, panpsychist, metaphysical system. She argues that Leibnizs philosophy has a renewed relevance in the twenty-first century, particularly in relation to the environmental change and crises that threaten human and non-human life on earth. Drawing on Leibnizs theory of soul-like, interconnected metaphysical entities he termed 'monads', Phemister explains how an individuals true good is inextricably linked to the good of all. Phemister also finds in Leibnizs works the rudiments of a theory of empathy and strategies for strengthening human feelings of compassion towards all living things. Leibniz and the Environment is essential reading for historians of philosophy and environmental philosophers, and will also be of interest to anyone seeking a metaphysical perspective from which to pursue environmental action and policy.