Brewer's: Leibnitz-ism

or Leibnitzian-ism. The doctrines taught by G. W. von Leibnitz, the German philosopher (1646-1716). The opposite of Spinosa-ism. Spinosa taught that whatever is, is God manifested by phenomena. The light and warmth of the sun, the refreshing breeze, space, and every visible object, is only diety in detail. That God, in fact, is one and all.

Leibnitz, on the other hand, taught that phenomena are separate from deity, as body is from soul; but although separate, that there is between them a pre-established harmony. The electricity which runs along a telegraph wire is not the message, but it gives birth to the message by pre-established harmony. So all things obey God's will, not because they are identical, but on account of this pre-established harmony.

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