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Full Idea
Death is nothing but the contraction of an animal, just as generation is nothing but its unfolding.
Gist of Idea
Death is just the contraction of an animal
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Johann Bernoulli [1699], 1698.11.18)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Philosophical Essays', ed/tr. Arlew,R /Garber,D [Hackett 1989], p.169
A Reaction
This is possibly the most bizarre view that I have found in Leibniz. He seemed to thing that if you burnt an animal on a bonfire, some little atom of life would remain among the ashes. I can't see why he would believe such a thing.