invitation to a philosophy talk at CEU

The CEU Philosophy department cordially invites you to a talk (as part of its Departmental Colloquium series) by Michael V.Griffin (Central European University) on "Leibniz on the Eternal Truths and the Existence of God" 5.30 PM, Tuesday, 30. September, 14. Zrinyi str. / room 412 Abstract: Leibniz maintains that there are eternal truths (including truths concerning possibilities and necessities) and that these truths, nevertheless, depend on God. His statements on the topic include: "If there were no eternal substance, there would be no eternal truths," "God is not only the source of existences, but also that of essences," and "if there were no God, there would not only be nothing actual, but also nothing possible." Interpreters of Leibniz and philosophers sympathetic to the dependence claim typically say that the eternal truths, or the entities on which they depend (e.g., essences or possibles), are God's concepts or thoughts. Without God, of course, these things wouldn't exist. However, I think Leibniz has a deeper sort of dependence in mind. It follows from Leibniz's metaphysics, I'll argue, that God's non-existence would entail the internal inconsistency of all essences. Kriszta Biber Department Coordinator Philosophy Department Tel: 36-1-327-3806 Fax: 36-1-327-3072