Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition

Originally commissioned for the German Philosophical Classics for English Readers and Students series, Dewey’s Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding examines the merits of G. W. Leibniz’s philosophical views in contrast to British empiricism. Dewey highlights Leibniz’s critique of John Locke, praising Leibniz as embodying the “dawning consciousness of the modern world.” Yet, he criticizes Leibniz’s for failing to reconcile his formal logic with the exercise of everyday thought. Like Psychology, Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding reflects Dewey’s early commitment to Hegelian idealism, yet anticipates the examination of the process of inquiry that will figure centrally in his future works.