The concept of the monad according to Leibniz and Kant

Abstract

In his precritical period Kant made numerous attempts to overcome the Cartesian body-soul dilemma. In his Thoughts on the true estimation of living forces, he presents a theory of quasi-material particles which are sources of attractive and repulsive forces. Since these particles do not come into direct contact with one another, their external interactions require mediation. In A brief outline of some meditation on fire Kant identifies the properties of this mediating factor. This leads him to introduces the concept of the ether, whose properties are identical with those of the matter of fire. It is only in his Physical monadology that Kant defines simple particles. In this work he proposes a substantive solution, which is definitive proof of his abandonment of the classical approach and his introduction of a new kind of being, the psychophysical monad. The most important task of the Physical monadology is to ground the connection between metaphysics and geometry.

Kant's idea of the monad is both Leibnizian and in opposition to the latter's notion. Kant's monads possess not only different properties, but above all they enter into direct contact with one another. It is worth comparing these two notions to trace the development of one of the most interesting modern philosophical ideas, that of the monad.