Leibniz, creation and the best of all possible worlds

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 62 (3):123 - 133 (2007)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Leibniz argued that God would not create a world unless it was the best possible world. I defend Leibniz’s argument. I then consider whether God could refrain from creating if there were no best possible world. I argue that God, on pain of contradiction, could not refrain from creating in such a situation. I conclude that either this is the best possible world or God is not our creator.

Categories

Keywords

Reprint years

DOI

10.1007/s11153-007-9136-7

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,202

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

My notes

Similar books and articles

Discourse on Metaphysics and the Monadology.Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - 1902 - Buffalo, N.Y.: Dover Publications. Edited by George R. Montgomery & Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
Leibniz: a guide for the perplexed.Franklin Perkins - 2007 - New York: Continuum.
On creating worlds without evil – given divine counterfactual knowledge.Josh Rasmussen - 2004 - Religious Studies 40 (4):457-470.
A conundrum concerning creation.Ishtiyaque Haji - 2009 - Sophia 48 (1):1-14.
Leibniz's solution to the problem of evil: Franklin Leibniz on evil.James Franklin - 2003 - Think 2 (5):97-101.
Malebranche and Leibniz on the best of all possible worlds.Tad M. Schmaltz - 2010 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 48 (1):28-48.
Ontology and Providence in Creation: Taking Ex Nihilo Seriously.Mark Ian Thomas Robson - 2008 - Continuum.
Creation, Actualization and God's Choice Among Possible Worlds.Klaas J. Kraay - 2008 - Philosophy Compass 3 (4):854-872.
“He who lapse last lapse best”: Plantinga on leibniz’s lapse.Jonathan L. Kvanvig - 1994 - Southwest Philosophy Review 10 (1):137-146.
Was Leibniz Entitled to Possible Worlds?Lynne Rudder Baker - 1985 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 15 (1):57-74.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
162 (#113,930)

6 months
12 (#178,599)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Jesse Steinberg
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Citations of this work

Leibniz’s and Herder’s philosophy of optimism.Vasil Gluchman - 2021 - Ethics and Bioethics (in Central Europe) 11 (1-2):37-47.
Drive for the divine.Darryl Wooldridge - 2015 - HTS Theological Studies 71 (3).

Add more citations

References found in this work

Lectures on philosophical theology.Immanuel Kant - 1978 - Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Edited by Allen W. Wood & Gertrude M. Clark.
Why Only the Best Is Good Enough.Stephen Grover - 1988 - Analysis 48 (4):224 -.
The Freedom of God.Edward Wierenga - 2002 - Faith and Philosophy 19 (4):425-436.

View all 19 references / Add more references