Suppose that Leibniz's God had spared him the rigors of getting old, and that he retained a fresh young brain and body over these hundreds of years. What would be his beliefs today, and what subjects would interest him the most?
We have to assume that as the 1700's unfolded, he would grudgingly adjust to the fact that the "Newtonian" world view was preeminent and probably correct. He'd follow (and probably contribute greatly to) the scientific advances of the 18th century, and even exult at the prediction of atoms (most probably) and the great mathematical and chemical advances of the French. He would have witnessed Wolfgang Kohler's discovery of uric acid in 1828, and we must suppose that he'd accept with alacrity the new mechanist and anti-vitalist views of the 19th century. With his genius, he'd also follow the tremendous scientific strides made in the second half of the century, many by his German compatriots. With what wonder would he then greet Einstein's most philosophically influential discovery of 1905? He might even after all those years secretly revel in the overthrow of the "Newtonian" world view. Knowing Leibniz, it wouldn't be surprising that he'd have been right in there with Lorentz and Poincare deriving almost simultaneously (pun intended) the results of Special Relativity. But with what total amazement would he follow Einstein's real breakthrough, the one that only Einstein could have made in the first half of the 20th century? I speak, of course, of the General Theory. Perhaps Leibniz would get on board at the last minute, as did Hilbert, and perhaps also almost beat Einstein to final publication. He might have even discovered the Schwarzschild solution before Schwarzschild. But, given that perpetually fresh young brain, wouldn't Leibniz have also contributed to the quantum revolution? Wouldn't he also have grasped before almost anyone else the implications of the work of Kurt Gödel? And one must imagine that in the 1930's Leibniz would be the first to recall the work of Babbage, and believe that the time was at hand when his beloved calculi would admit true mechanical manipulation? So Leibniz would have been a part of the electronic and computer revolutions, and would have understood the final defeat of vitalism in 1953. It seems clear that he would have followed physics right up through the development of the standard model in 1968. But what then? The crystal ball grows dark. Any thoughts? Lee