Synechism and Monadology. Charles Sanders Peirce?s Reading of Leibniz

VARGAS, EVELYN

Leibniz and the English Speaking World

Springer

Lugar: Dordrecht; Año: 2007; p. 181 - 193

 The consideration of modern philosophers played a substantial role in the development of Peirce?s philosophy.  But while his views on other modern philosophers such as Kant and the British empiricists have been studied extensively, his references to Leibniz have been generally ignored. Yet the American thinker gave a prominent position to Leibniz, not only because Peirce regarded his reasoning as even ?far more accurate than that of Kant? (CN2, 186) but mainly because he believed that his thought furnished key ideas ?universally esteemed as highly fruitful? (Ibid.), particularly his law of continuity. However, this appraisal contrasts with what he considered a ?blind spot? on Leibniz?s logical retina since, according to Peirce, some of his metaphysical doctrines are in contradiction with certain of his most emblematic principles. My purpose in this paper is to focus on those inconsistencies Peirce thought he found in Leibniz?s reasoning.