Leibnizian Demonstration of the Numerical Formulae
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Abstract
This paper is intended to analyze the Leibnizian theory of mathematical proof, in relation to his general view on science. Firstly, it provides the main characteristics of Leibniz’s method, making a strategic contrast with the Cartesian one (§§ 1–3). Secondly, because for Leibniz the numerical formulae are not primitive logical truths, they require a rigorous formal proof, so that the corresponding demonstration given in the New Essays is examined in order to gain new insights into the so-called Leibnizian formalism, taking into account as well Frege’s and Poincaré’s criticisms to it (§§ 4–6). Finally, it offers an evaluative account of all these considerations (§ 7).
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