The Monadology Research Paper

LEIBNIZ MONADOLOGY

The Monadology attempts to define the ultimate substance of the world. The first part of The Monadology explains what a monad is, whereas, the second part of The Monadology concentrates on metaphysical principles. All that there is in the universe consists of monads, which there are an infinite number of them. A monad is a simple, indivisible substance. They have a certain type of perfection to them. Monads have an infinite number of properties; they have all the properties that they will ever need to exhibit during the course of their existence. Therefore, all their properties are built in at the beginning of their existence. This means that they have a substantial form and ultimately have a final cause. This means that
there is no way in which another monad may externally cause any change to another. If that's the case, then, it seems that all these monads are similar.
In fact, that is not the case because there are no two perfectly alike beings in nature, or else all monads would be identical from one another. The changes that occur within monads occur due to internal principles; they are not caused externally. Internal principle is the change from one perception to another, which is called appetition. Monads manifest perceptions, which are states that undergo transitions as they unfold. The appetition is the energy driving the monads with its perceptions towards its state shift or end. However, the appetition does not always reach the perception it wanted to, but always attains a portion of it, as a result, still, creating something new. Therefore, every present state of a monad is a resultant of its preceding state. Knowledge of necessary truth furnishes man with reason or mind and the sciences. Man's reasoning is based on two principles: contradiction and sufficient reason. In addition, there are two types of truths: reasoning and fact. Truths of reasoning can be found through analysis. This is a process where one simplifies a substance or idea until they reach the first and most primitives of the ideas. Even bodies can be broken down to
infinity of simple substances. Within this process of simplification, there can be boundless amount of detail. Sufficient or ultimate reason must be outside of this process of simplifying, no matter how infinite it may be or how far back in time one may go. Therefore, there must be one simple substance in which all these simplifying may lead to, and that substance is a monad. And this monad is God. God is the primitive substance and following God's existence, monads are derived. However, because they are derived from God, it does not follow that they are a mirror image of God. They are not perfect like God; they are just an imitation of God. God is perfect because God is capable of acting externally unto others while monads are imperfect. Because they are acted upon another and they cannot have a direct act upon another without the involvement of God. One creature is more perfect than another as long as it is capable of causing something against the other. Therefore, God is more perfect than a monad. Because one, God created monads, and two, God regulates monads. Leibniz says that, God has created the world in such a way that there is an inter-connection among all created things to one another. Also, they have infinite number of simple substances.
These are some of the various perspectives of the monads depending on the point of view of an individual. This is how so much variety is obtained, but still regulated by God in such a way that there is still the greatest order possible. Another characteristic of monads is that they are all put together and can be looked at in terms of infinity, but individually they are finite. A monad has an immediate communication with the other monad that was just in contact with. Since it's contact with one monad leads to contacts with all others and etc. Leibniz tried to define the ultimate substance of the universe. He attempted to prove that the simplest substance is a monad. He then described the characteristics of a monad and proved to us that they are systematized and have a destined path, by the ultimate monad, God. Monads are the simplest substance. However, their properties do change and they actually have an infinite number of properties. Some may be in use at one point and another depending on their system or from their initial creation. Therefore, monads are permanent forever and are unchanging to a certain point. Each one of them has an end in which every monad is trying to achieve. And this end is one that was system into them since the first day
they came into existence.

I think that Leibniz did a fairly good job at proving to the reader that whatever it is, whatever it was, and whatever it will be, it is still true that a monad is a result of the nature. Therefore, monads have nothing but changes and perceptions within them. The perceptions are not within a compound substance but instead, in the simple substance itself. Therefore, any change that occurs in the Monads is internally and not externally because they are self-sufficient and self-developing. Within in them (monads), there is a system that was destined. And it is their creator who destined this system. And to Leibniz, this creator was God.