Continuities and Disputes between Leibniz, Wolff, and Du Châtelet regarding the Relationship between Simple Beings and Bodies in the Institutions de Physique

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between simple beings and bodies in Émilie Du Châtelet’s Institutions de Physique (1740; 1742). We will reflect on Du Châtelet’s dialogue with Leibniz and Wolff in this work to show how the philosopher understands the idea that simple beings or elements are the foundations of bodies. We will study the way in which she addresses the philosophical problems she inherits from these two authors, due to her original integration into the Leibnizian-Wolffian philosophical tradition. Our focus will be on examining the way in which the philosopher accounts for the phenomenality of the extended and the organization of simple beings.