Leibniz's New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition

"Leibniz's New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition" by John Dewey is a late 19th-century work that dives into Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's philosophical perspectives, especially those found in "Nouveaux Essais" about humanity's ability to understand the world through rational thinking. The work seeks to bridge Leibniz's ideas with current philosophical debates, emphasizing their importance in the development of modern thought, starting with a look into Leibniz's life, mapping out the experiences that molded his philosophical interests. Dewey goes over Leibniz's early education and intellectual growth, shining a light on his family's impact, his teachers, and his important meetings with thinkers of the time, weaving through Leibniz's academic path where he explored law, math, and philosophy in search of universal understanding, setting the stage for his later philosophical impact and his lasting influence on both philosophy and science.