Leibniz
German philosopher who formulated the Principle of Sufficient Reason and developed a version of the Cosmological Argument. Leibniz argued that everything must have an explanation or sufficient reason; the universe's existence requires explanation by a necessary being (God). His principle remains central to cosmological arguments.
Real World
Leibniz posed his famous question 'Why is there something rather than nothing?' in his 1714 work 'Principles of Nature and Grace,' a question that still frames debates between theists and atheists in university philosophy departments worldwide.
Exam Focus
Distinguish Leibniz's argument from Aquinas's — Leibniz focuses on explanation (sufficient reason), not cause-and-effect chains.
How well did you know this?