Newton and the genesis of Leibniz’s theory of space

Abstract The paper in [1] provides a history of Gottfried Leibniz’s ideas about space. Contrary to standard readings, Leibniz did not develop a relational theory of space until 1688 when he read Isaac Newton’s Principia and realised that he had to respond to the theory of absolute space with a new, powerful and rich alternative theory. The paper details Leibniz’s theories of space prior to the relational theory and their philosophical sources. It discusses Leibniz’s theory in relation to his theories of time, motion and geometry. Finally, it shows the role of Newton in the genesis of Leibniz’s relational theory.