In 1675 Gottfried Leibniz discovered the mathematical principles of calculus, independently from the earlier discoveries of English scientist Sir Isaac Newton. Leibniz also invented a calculating machine and is considered a pioneer in the development of mathematical logic. In Leibniz’s philosophy, the universe is composed of countless conscious centers of spiritual force or energy, known as monads. The universe that these monads constitute is the harmonious result of a divine plan. Humans, however, with their limited vision, cannot accept such evils as disease and death as part of a universal harmony. Leibniz’s philosophical works Monadology (1714) and New Essays Concerning Human Understanding (1703) influenced 18th-century German philosophers Christian von Wolff and Immanuel Kant.
We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can, because the Cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star stuff. – Carl Sagan
Art is the lifelong cultivation of a condition of ecstasy and wonder. – Glenn Gould
Image by Jess Artem