Well-founded phenomenon
Encyclopedia
Well-founded phenomena in the philosophy
of Gottfried Leibniz
, are ways in which the world falsely appears to us, but which are grounded in the way the world actually is (as opposed to dream
s or hallucination
s, which are false appearances that are not thus grounded).
For Leibniz, the universe is made up of an infinite number of simple substance
s or monad
s, each of which contains a representation of the entire universe (past, present, and future), and which are all causally isolated from one another ("Monads have no windows through which anything could enter or depart.") For the most part the monads' perceptions are more or less confused and obscure, but some of them correspond either to the ways in which other monads are related or to the ways that the representation is genuinely ordered; these are the well-founded phenomena.
In the world of ordinary experience we might call a rainbow
a well-ordered phenomenon; it appears to us to be a coloured arch in the sky, though there is in fact no arch there. We are not suffering from hallucinations, though, for the appearance is grounded in the way the world is actually ordered — in the behaviour of light, dust motes, water particles, etc.
For Leibniz, there are two main categories of well-founded phenomena: the ordinary world of individual objects and their interactions, and more abstract phenomena such as space
, time
, and causality
. This is also found in his expression of pre-established harmony
being the actual basis of causation
.
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Metaphysics Also called true phenomena or real phenomena, Leibniz's term for material bodies. In his later metaphysics, only monads exist in nature, and all other things are not true substances but only phenomena. Their unity can not be explained merely in terms of the modification of extension. Thus material bodies do not form a part of Leibniz's fundamental ontology. Instead, they are composed of monads and their individual modifications. Their existence is to be explained in terms of the existence of monads and their properties, which are the foundations of the phenomenal derivative force exerted by material things in motion. Material bodies are aggregates of true substances (or monads). On this basis, Leibniz called material bodies well-founded phenomena or the result of monads. “I showed that bodies are only aggregates that constitute a unity accidentally, or by extrinsic denomination and, to that extent, are all well-founded phenomena.”
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Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of Gottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician. He wrote in different languages, primarily in Latin , French and German ....
, are ways in which the world falsely appears to us, but which are grounded in the way the world actually is (as opposed to dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s or hallucination
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
s, which are false appearances that are not thus grounded).
For Leibniz, the universe is made up of an infinite number of simple substance
Substance theory
Substance theory, or substance attribute theory, is an ontological theory about objecthood, positing that a substance is distinct from its properties. A thing-in-itself is a property-bearer that must be distinguished from the properties it bears....
s or monad
Monad
-Philosophy:*Monad a term meaning "unit" used variously by ancient philosophers from the Pythagoreans to Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus to signify a variety of entities from a genus to God....
s, each of which contains a representation of the entire universe (past, present, and future), and which are all causally isolated from one another ("Monads have no windows through which anything could enter or depart.") For the most part the monads' perceptions are more or less confused and obscure, but some of them correspond either to the ways in which other monads are related or to the ways that the representation is genuinely ordered; these are the well-founded phenomena.
In the world of ordinary experience we might call a rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
a well-ordered phenomenon; it appears to us to be a coloured arch in the sky, though there is in fact no arch there. We are not suffering from hallucinations, though, for the appearance is grounded in the way the world is actually ordered — in the behaviour of light, dust motes, water particles, etc.
For Leibniz, there are two main categories of well-founded phenomena: the ordinary world of individual objects and their interactions, and more abstract phenomena such as space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
, time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, and causality
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
. This is also found in his expression of pre-established harmony
Pre-established harmony
Gottfried Leibniz's theory of pre-established harmony is a philosophical theory about causation under which every "substance" only affects itself, but all the substances in the world nevertheless seem to causally interact with each other because they have been programmed by God in advance to...
being the actual basis of causation
Causation
Causation may refer to:* Causation , a key component to establish liability in both criminal and civil law* Causation in English law defines the requirement for liability in negligence...
.
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Metaphysics Also called true phenomena or real phenomena, Leibniz's term for material bodies. In his later metaphysics, only monads exist in nature, and all other things are not true substances but only phenomena. Their unity can not be explained merely in terms of the modification of extension. Thus material bodies do not form a part of Leibniz's fundamental ontology. Instead, they are composed of monads and their individual modifications. Their existence is to be explained in terms of the existence of monads and their properties, which are the foundations of the phenomenal derivative force exerted by material things in motion. Material bodies are aggregates of true substances (or monads). On this basis, Leibniz called material bodies well-founded phenomena or the result of monads. “I showed that bodies are only aggregates that constitute a unity accidentally, or by extrinsic denomination and, to that extent, are all well-founded phenomena.”
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