Leibniz and the natural theology of the Chinese

Abstract

The beginning of the philosophical interpretation of Chinese thought, with Leibniz, takes place at the epicenter of a complex metaphysical-religious dispute among Catholic missionaries in the first half of the seventeenth century called "quarrel of the rituals", which was stirred by two distinct catechization concepts used to convert the Chinese to Christianity. In this context, Leibniz stands in favor of one party and to justify his stance, he associates elements of Chinese thought to aspects of his philosophy. The theory of pre-established harmony is the starting point of his interpretation of Chinese thought. Leibniz refutes the accusation of materialism in Chinese thought, observing that the Chinese concept of original substance and the concept of matter according to the scholastic perspective are completely different. Leibniz's opposition to the scholastic and Cartesian thought becomes most clear when he addresses the problem of communication of substances refuting dualism by means of his theory of pre-established harmony and his conception of the universe as an organic unity. Those two aspects are the main elements that associate Leibniz to Chinese thought. Keywords: Leibniz, Chinese thought, pre-established harmony, dualism, organic unity, Li, ki.