Leibniz on Moral and Substantial Identity and the Common Good

According to Leibniz, God created men as images of himself, as “little Gods” who can imitate him in their actions and promote the metaphysical common good. However, this is not apparent in the actual world. In this paper, I will discuss Leibniz’s theories of human identity and examine the paradox that emerges when our erratic behavior is in contradiction with God’s intentions. I will do this by reflecting on the affective and insensible part of our mental life, which Leibniz discusses primarily in New Essays on Human Understanding (1704) and correspondence with Pierre Bayle.