The monad is ... Monad in philosophy

Philosophy includes many currents and trends. Each scientist somehow in his own way explained the actual categories for his time. The theory of the Leibniz monads is part of the dialectic - the doctrine of the constant development, movement and variability of the world. A well-known philosopher, representative of the German school, believed that the basis of the world is God and the mind that he created. It is the mind of God that gives substance to matter and becomes the source of its development.

What is a monad?

According to Leibniz, the whole world can be divided up to the smallest elements - monads. The monad is a special substance, distinguished by simplicity, which is a part of a more complex element. This component of the world does not have a stretch, it does not arise and does not perish in a natural way; it simply exists. Leibniz argued that a monad in philosophy is a substance endowed with the principle of activity and strength. This principle can be explained from the point of view of teleology (universal subordination to ultimate goals) and theology. In this regard, there is the idea that the universe, generated by God, is also constantly directed towards self-improvement and the development of rich forms.

The monad is studied by philosophers as a particle, which is connected by unity with the infinite cosmos. Leibniz, as a representative of dialectics, put forward the idea that nature is the totality of connections to everything, since the entire universe is represented by a monad. The philosophical direction demonstrates the connections of individual individual substances with the great surrounding world.

Characteristics of the substance

All items can be divided into monads. Their existence is confirmed by the complex things that surround us and which we can learn by practical means, having gained some experience. The philosophical principle says that any complex thing should consist of simple things. For Leibniz, a monad is a spiritual atom that has no parts and is immaterial. The fact that these elements are simple means that they are not subject to disintegration and termination of existence, like all other mortal substances.

The monad locks are closed, and in connection with such isolation they do not affect others, and they, in turn, do not affect them. They circulate in space independently of each other. This principle is not typical for the higher monad - God, which gives life to all other elements and harmonizes their inner state. The pre-established harmony between simple substances is a living mirror image of the universe. Despite its simplicity, the monad in philosophy is a phenomenon having its internal structure and plurality of state. Such a state, or percept, can not exist in itself, unlike particles of complex elements, and this confirms the simplicity of the substances. Perceptions are conscious and unconscious. The second state is possible because of the small size of the monads.

Monad and soul

Leibniz had his anthropological views on this matter. The scientist believed that people's actions can be subjected to unconscious influence. He also claimed that the monads and their states are constantly changing. The reason for this is the internal activity of such an element.

For Leibniz the human soul is the most important monad. In philosophy, this direction is called monadology - thinking about the root cause of the physical interaction between things. The soul of man is only one of the levels of substance.

Basic provisions of monadology

The entire universe can be divided into a large number of elements that have no dualistic nature, as Descartes and Spinoza wrote, but continuously unified.

The monad is one, if you look at the translation from the Greek language. It is distinguished by its simplicity, its indivisibility, and has no substantive basis.

The monad is characterized by four qualities: aspiration, attraction, perception and representation.

The essence of this element is activity, activity. He is one and constantly changing his perception.

Continuity of existence enables the monad to realize itself.

This substance is completely closed and dependent on others like it.

Types of monads in Leibniz

Leibniz, summarizing all his reflections, divides the monads into four classes:

1. The naked monad is one that is the basis of the life of inorganic beings (stones, earth, minerals).
2. Monad of animals - from the name it is clear, for whom it is peculiar. She has sensations, but self-consciousness is completely undeveloped.
3. A human monad or soul is a rational substance. Has a consciousness, memory and a unique ability - thinking. A person can know the world, surrounding things, moral laws, values and eternal truths.
4. The highest level of the monad is God.

Leibniz claimed that all monads, except for the fourth grade, have a connection with the body. The life of beings is connected with two processes - the unfolding at birth and the curtailment at death, which in principle the body, as a set of monads, can not destroy. Under the body, he understood the country of monads, ruled by the ideal leader - the soul. Since the philosopher was an idealist, he generally denied the existence of matter, and in connection with this, the bodily shell.

Conclusion on monadology

The monad class indicates the degree of its intelligence and freedom - the higher it is, the higher these characteristics. The theory of Leibniz can be extended to the whole world, to its remotest corners, to all surrounding objects. Each monad is individual, unique, possessing its own properties, having its own character of development.