CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Milenkovic, Vukoman |
|---|---|
| Title | Leibniz's Rejection of Infinite Numbers: Unity, Quantity, and Divinity |
| Summary | Why did Leibniz reject the existence of infinite numbers? In the context of contemporary set theory, where the Cantorian view provides a robust framework for understanding infinite cardinalities, Leibniz’s denial may appear outdated or philosophically naïve. Yet a closer examination of his philosophical system reveals something more ambitious: a comprehensive metaphysical, mathematical, and theological framework in which the concept of an infinite number is repeatedly rejected on principled grounds. This thesis argues that Leibniz’s rejection of infinite numbers is neither incidental nor due to conceptual limitations, but rather motivated by each of the three foundational commitments of his philosophy: his mereological nihilism in the metaphysics of parts and wholes, his conceptualist theory of quantity in his philosophy of mathematics, and a specific understanding of God as the “true infinite” in his theology. |
| Supervisor | Griffin, Michael Vance |
| Department | Philosophy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/milenkovic_vukoman.pdf |
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