Philosophy and science in Leibniz

Abstract

This chapter explores the question of Leibniz’s contribution to the rise of modern “science”. To be sure, it is now generally agreed that the modern category of “science” did not exist in the early modern period. At the same time, this period witnessed a very important stage in the process from which modern science eventually emerged. I will argue that Leibniz made a distinctive contribution to the journey from natural philosophy to natural science, and to the modern distinction between science and philosophy, through the development of a conception of physics as an autonomous enterprise.