Friedrich Leibniz (or Leibnütz; 1597–1652) was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

lawyer and a notary, registrar and professor of

moral philosophy Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied et ...

within

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

, where he also served as Dean of Philosophy.Brandon C. Look. Gregory Brown (Professor at

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

). Ariew, Roger. ''G. W. Leibniz, life and works.'
Cambridge Collections Online
In: Nicholas Jolley, He was the father of

Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (or Leibnitz; – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who is credited, alongside Isaac Newton, Sir Isaac Newton, with the creation of calculus in ad ...

Biography

Leibniz was born in

Altenberg, Saxony Altenberg () is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany. Geography The town is situated in the Ore Mountains, 32 km south of Dresden, and 15 km northwest of Teplice, Czech Republic. The village o ...

, the son of Ambrosious Leibniz, a civil servant, and a

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

noblewoman named Anna Deuerlin. He completed his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

at the University of Leipzig during 1622 and became an

actuary An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require investment management, asset management, ...

in administration at the university. His first marriage in 1625 produced a son, Johann Friedrich, and a daughter, Anna Rosina. He was elected to the chair in moral philosophy at Leipzig in 1640. A childless marriage to a second wife ended with her death 1643.Mitchel T. Keller ''et al''.

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...

. A subsequent 1644 marriage to Catharina Schmuck, a daughter of a well known lawyer (or professor of law) produced a son, the

polymath A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (or Leibnitz; – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who is credited, alongside Sir Isaac Newton, with the creation of calculus in addition to ...

. During 1646 Leibniz was vice chairman of the faculty of philosophy and also was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Leipzig, in addition to employment as actuary. He possessed a collection of books of ancient source. He died in

. Eric John Aiton considers Friedrich Leibniz On the other hand, in an address he delivered in 1646, Friedrich equated

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, the Greek god of knowledge, with

Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...

the christian devil, and introduced other variants in Biblical and Greek myths, notably the view of

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

as the she- Python slaughtered by

. Friedrich Leibniz is notable because his mathematical "descendants," which include

Carl Friedrich Gauss Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; ; ; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist, who contributed to many fields in mathematics and science. He was director of the Göttingen Observatory and ...

, number more than 170,000 (largely due to his son).

Family

Leibniz was married three times. His first marriage was on 31 January 1625 to Anna Fritzsche, who died on 14 March 1634 in Leipzig, the daughter of Mag. Benedict Fritzsche. From the marriage came six known children, only two of whom lived to adulthood: *Johann Friedrich Leibniz (16 January 1632, Leipzig- 19 March 1696 ibid.) 1650 Uni. Leipzig, 13 July 1650 Bacc. Phil. ibid., 27 January 1653 Mag. Phil. ibid., 1660 teacher Leipzig, 1667 professor and third colleague at the Thomas School in Leipzig, married on 25 August 1668 in Altenburg Dorothea Elisabeth Schmalz (16 April or 18 April 1649, Altkirchen- 6 August 1681, Leipzig), daughter of the archdeacon in Altenburg Magnus Schmalz (11 March 1615, Kohren- 12 December 1683, Altenburg) and Regina Freiesleben (9 September 1629, Altenburg- 28 June 1675, Altenburg) *Johann Gottfried Leibniz (died young) *Elisabeth Leibniz (died young) *Anna Magdalena Leibniz (died young) *Susanna Leibniz (died young) *Anna Rosina Leibniz (25 December 1629, Leipzig- 26 March 1666, Orlamünde) married in February 1653 in Leipzig with the Mag. and later superintendent in Orlamünde Heinrich Freiesleben (5 January 1628, Altenburg- 26 March 1666, Orlamünde) After two years of widowhood, he entered into his second marriage on 24 May 1636 to Dorothea Voigt (18 July 1599, Leipzig- 25 January 1643, Leipzig), the daughter of the Leipzig citizen and bookseller Bartholomäus Voigt (11 April 1564, Halle (Saale)- 18 January 1637, Leipzig) and Maria (née Rambau). The marriage remained childless. His third marriage was on 21 May 1644 in Leipzig to Catharina Schmuck (5 November 1621, Leipzig- 6 February 1664, Leipzig), the daughter of Professor Dr. jur. and Mag. Phil. (1 May 1575, Suhl- 28 December 1634, Leipzig) and Gertraude Lindner, the daughter of Johann Lindner and Elisabeth Clode/Klodt. From the marriage came a son and a daughter: *

(21 June 1646- 14 November 1716) *Anna Katharina Leibniz (31 July or 1 August 1648, Leipzig- 13 February 1672 ibid.), married on 25 September 1666 in Leipzig with the Lic. theol. and Vesper preacher (1627–1674).

References

External links

Rodovid
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"Friedrich_Leibniz"
Retrieved 2012-02-09. * Sariel, Aviram (2019)
"Diabolic Philosophy". Studia Leibnitiana. 51 (1): 99–118
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leibniz, Friedrich 1597 births 1692 deaths People from Altenberg, Saxony 17th-century writers in Latin University of Altdorf alumni Leipzig University alumni German Lutherans Academic staff of Leipzig University

Biography

Family

References

Further reading

External links