In 1710 G. W. Leibniz published Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man, and the Origin of Evil. This book, the only one he published in his lifetime, established his reputation more than anything else he wrote. The Theodicy brings together many different strands of Leibniz's own philosophical system, and we get a rare snapshot of how he intended these disparate aspects of his philosophy to come together into a single, overarching account of divine justice in the face of the world's evils. At the same time, the Theodicy is a fascinating window into the context of philosophical theology in the seventeenth century. Leibniz had his finger on the intellectual pulse of his time, and this comes out very clearly in the Theodicy. He engages with all of the major lines of theological dispute of that time, demonstrating the encyclopaedic breadth of his understanding of the issues. Leibniz's Theodicy remains one of the most abiding systematic accounts of how evil is compatible with divine goodness. Any treatment of the problem of evil must, at some point, come to grips with Leibniz's proposed solution. This volume refreshes and deepens our understanding of this great work. Leading scholars present original essays which critically evaluate the Theodicy, providing a window on its historical context and giving close attention to the subtle and enduring philosophical arguments.

This volume offers a reappraisal of a classic text of European philosophy, Leibniz's Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man, and the Origin of Evil (1710). New essays from leading scholars open a window on the historical context of the work and give close attention to its subtle and enduring philosophical arguments.

the essays all make interesting contributions to the literature, and there is something to learn from each of them. Many of them are very good, and the best are excellent and likely to make lasting contributions to the topics that they cover. The volume deserves the attention of anyone concerned with the problem of evil in the early modern period, and will doubtless become a standard reference for those who have an interest in the Theodicy or Leibniz's philosophy of religion. Indeed, absent an English-language monograph on the Theodicy, this book probably stands as the best overall introduction to the work in English, albeit at a quite advanced level.