The most up-to-date and comprehensive interpretation of the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who proposed the theory that nature is an order designed by God to maximize opportunities for the exercise of reason. Making considerable use of unpublished manuscript sources, author Donald Rutherford seeks to demonstrate the systematic unity of Leibniz's thought. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.