More on a World of Things: As Expressed by Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716)

This blog is a continuation of yesterday’s blog. Here, I want to discuss the monad in more detail so that the reader can distinguish a spiritual atom from the physical atoms proposed by physicists, chemists, and the ancient atomists, such as Democritus and Epicurus. Leibniz’s monads are not atoms that can be added to the list of chemical atoms such as hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Nor is the monad a physical atom, as were proposed by John Locke. Leibniz thus had a sound reason why he wanted to debate Locke.

In my book, I call Leibniz’s monads ‘spiritual atoms’ so I can distinguish the monads from all physical atoms. Physical atoms do not exist because a physical atom is finite and is thus divisible. Physicists tried to overcome this problem of divisibility by developing string theories. However, these string theories merely reduce the atom to a one-dimensional space thing. The Big Bang also reduces the universe to a one-dimensional energy thing. By avoiding the problem of divisibility, the physicists are building a one-sided world (purely physical) and a one-sided mind (empiricism).

Monads (or spiritual atoms) are indivisible things that are able to form divisible things. This pair of opposites overcomes the one-sided worlds of our physicists. Further, in my proof of God’s existence, I say "all finite things originate in an infinite thing." This expression of God’s existence also applies the opposites, indivisible and divisible. By using monads, I can thus say that "all divisible things originate in an indivisible thing." This indivisible thing is a monotheistic God who unifies all opposites.

When the monads combine to form divisible things, each monad is in other monads. So, the universe is very complex. Since all monads are perceiving, each monad is a mirror of the whole universe. Obviously, our perceptions are limited. But, the perception of an infinite God is not limited. So, God always knows what He created.