Gottfried Leibniz is remembered as a metaphysical Pollyanna, thanks to Voltaire's caricature -- the hapless Dr. Pangloss, who insists that all is for the best, even as he is afflicted with syphilis, ...

According to Nietzsche, "Every great philosophy is... a personal confession of its creator and a kind of involuntary and unperceived memoir.". Stewart affirms this maxim in his colorful ...

When Albert Einstein was asked if he believed in God, the great 20th century scientist reached back to a 17th century philosopher for an answer. "I believe," said Einstein, "in Spinoza's God." Baruch ...

In November, 1676, Gottfried Leibniz, 30, diplomat, courtier, mathematician, philosopher, and all-round genius, visits Baruch Spinoza, 44, lens-grinder ...

Philosophers like to think of themselves as unprejudiced seekers after truth, yet most arrive at conclusions remarkably in tune with the orthodoxy of their age. In the past, that meant Christian ...

The beguiling Dutch philosopher’s life and work is prone to misunderstandings and misreadings. A recent biography goes so far as to recruit him into the culture war. Ad Policy A portrait of Benedict ...

For our first event in 2006, independent scholar Matthew Stewart discussed his new book, The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World. Stewart’s book ...

The Hague, November 1676 -- Bento -- Gottfried -- A life of the mind -- God's attorney -- The hero of the people -- The many faces of Leibniz -- Friends of friends -- Leibniz in love -- A secret ...