Single Idea 12965

[catalogued under 8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 2. Powers as Basic]

Full Idea

Anything which occurs in what is strictly a substance must be a case of 'action' in the metaphysically rigorous sense of something which occurs in the substance spontaneously, arising out of its own depths.

Gist of Idea

All occurrence in the depth of a substance is spontaneous 'action'

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 2.21)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.210


A Reaction

I love this idea, which fits in with scientific essentialism. The question is whether Leibniz has idenified the end point of all explanations. Cutting edge physics is trying to give further explanations for what seemed basic, such as mass and gravity.

Related Ideas

Idea 12783 Primitive force is what gives a composite its reality [Leibniz]

Idea 13169 I call Aristotle's entelechies 'primitive forces', which originate activity [Leibniz]