Leibniz's Naturalized Theory of Mind

FAIN: FT-57162-09

Larry M. Jorgensen
Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1698)

My project for the 2009 NEH Summer Stipend will be to complete the final section of my book project, Leibniz's Naturalized Theory of Mind. Since I am eligible to apply for leave in the Fall of 2009 at my home institution, Valparaiso University, the NEH Summer Stipend would allow me a longer period of uninterrupted time to work on the monograph, increasing the likelihood that I will be able to complete a full draft by the end of the 2009/2010 academic year. The book situates the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1649-1716) within a larger philosophical trend that continues to this day -- a trend toward more 'naturalized' theories that explain natural events in terms of other natural events, without appeal to divine activity. The central argument of my book is that Leibniz's commitment to certain fundamental principles results in a naturalized theory of mind that is of interest in its own right as well as in relation to contemporary discussions on the philosophy of mind.