Towards a Vital Reason: María Zambrano with/against Leibniz

Abstract

The distance that Zambrano establishes with respect to Leibniz is a reflection of the fracture between philosophy and poetry. Zambrano topically places Leibniz in relation to substantialist metaphysics, rationalist tradition, the new mathematical-physics, infinitesimal calculus, etc. It would be in the line of thought that goes directly from Descartes to Spinoza, Kant and culminates in Hegel. He refers to it as “rationalist and absolutist metaphysical dogmatism.” Zambrano considers Leibniz “the last Pythagorean.” Now, here we start from an innovative interpretation of Leibnizian philosophy focused on experience and the notion of life. From this perspective it is shown that certain convergences can be found between both philosophical works: rejection of irrationalism, dynamic conception of rationality and valorization of phenomena.