Paradox

LEIBNIZ’S PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON 241predicates. To an infinite mind, “Gottfried Leibniz was bornin Leipzig” is therefore an a priori truth. Since Leipzig is partof the meaning of “Gottfried Leibniz,” a full understanding ofLeibniz implies a full understanding of Leipzig. The subjectterm ‘Leipzig’ in turn involves the residents of Leipzig, relationswith other cities, and so on. To fully know anything is toknow everything. Each individual mirrors all the other individualsin the universe.Despite this holism, each individual is “windowless” inthat the truths about the individual do not depend on anythingelse. The internal nature of a thing completely determines itshistory. The apparent influence of shears upon a shrub is notreally an intrusion on the shrub. There is a preestablishedharmony between the blades and the twigs. Our actions are anunfolding of our inner natures, so we are free.Finite minds cannot perform an infinite analysis. Often welimited thinkers can only know the truth by using empiricalmeans—just as accountants must resort to calculators to confirmthat 111, 111, 111 × 111, 111, 111 = 12, 345, 678, 987, 654,321. But this does mean that this equation is made true by thegears of the calculator or any other contingent thing.Leibniz’s principle of sufficient reason says that everythingmust have a reason. Leibniz says that we use thisprinciple constantly in our inferences. He cites Archimedes’reasoning: a scale with equal weights must be balancedbecause there is no more reason for one side to go up ratherthan the other.Leibniz uses the principle of sufficient reason to provethat God exists. A possible world is a complete, alternativeway things might be. There are many possible worlds. Whyis our world the actual world? There can be a reason only ifGod exists.