Whoever believes nothing in divine matters except what he can measure with his own understanding diminishes the idea of God.

— Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716), Philosoph

Topics: Doubt & Hard Questions, Wisdom & Understanding

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) war ein deutscher Philosoph, Mathematiker und Universalgelehrter der frühen Neuzeit, der vor allem in Hannover wirkte. Bekannt ist er für die Entwicklung des Dualsystems und der Infinitesimalrechnung sowie für seine philosophische Verteidigung der Schöpfung als „beste aller möglichen Welten“. Für Bibelleser bleibt er vor allem als Begründer der modernen Theodizee-Debatte relevant, die das Spannungsfeld zwischen dem biblischen Gottesbild und dem realen Leid in der Welt rational zu erklären suchte.

All quotes by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (34)

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The grip of our faith by which we hold on to the Lord may loosen. But the One in whom we believe holds us with his grip.

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Now that I am a Christian I do not have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.

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Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.

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