Friedrich Leibniz (or Leibnütz; 1597–1652) was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

lawyer and a notary, registrar and professor of

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

within

Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decembe ...

.Brandon C. Look. Gregory Brown (Professor at

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

). Ariew, Roger. ''G. W. Leibniz, life and works.'
Cambridge Collections Online
In: Nicholas Jolley, He was the father of

Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of mat ...

Biography

Leibniz was born in

Altenberg, Saxony Altenberg () is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge Districts of Germany, district, in Saxony, Germany. Geography The town is situated in the Ore Mountains (Germany), Ore Mountains, 32 km south of Dresden, and 15 km northwe ...

, the son of Ambrosious Leibniz, a civil servant, and a

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as we ...

noblewoman named Anna Deuerlin. He completed his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

at the University of Leipzig during 1622 and became an

actuary An actuary is a business professional who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. The name of the corresponding field is actuarial science. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset m ...

in administration at the university. His first marriage in 1625 produced a son, Johann Friedrich, and a daughter, Anna Rosina. He was elected to the chair in moral philosophy at Leipzig in 1640. A childless marriage to a second wife ended with her death 1643.Mitchel T. Keller ''et al''.

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as th ...

. A subsequent 1644 marriage to Catharina Schmuck, a daughter of a well known lawyer (or professor of law) produced a son, the

polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of mat ...

. During 1646 Leibniz was vice chairman of the faculty of philosophy and also was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Leipzig, in addition to employment as actuary. He possessed a collection of books of ancient source. He died in

Eric John Aiton The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ai ...

consideres Friedrich Leibniz By Difference, Aviram Sariel has showen that in an address he delivered in 1646, Friedirch equated

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

, the Greek god of knowledge, with

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...

the christian devil, and introduced other variants in Biblical and Greek myths. Leibniz is notable because his mathematical "descendants," which include

Carl Friedrich Gauss Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; german: Gauß ; la, Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science. Sometimes refer ...

, number more than 170,000.Mathematics Genealogy Project entry for Friedrich Leibniz
/ref>

Family

Leibniz was married three times. His first marriage was on 31 January 1625 to Anna Fritzsche, who died on 14 March 1634 in Leipzig, the daughter of Mag. Benedict Fritzsche. From the marriage came six known children, only two of whom lived to adulthood: *Johann Friedrich Leibniz (16 January 1632, Leipzig- 19 March 1696 ibid.) 1650 Uni. Leipzig, 13 July 1650 Bacc. Phil. ibid., 27 January 1653 Mag. Phil. ibid., 1660 teacher Leipzig, 1667 professor and third colleague at the Thomas School in Leipzig, married on 25 August 1668 in Altenburg Dorothea Elisabeth Schmalz (16 April or 18 April 1649, Altkirchen- 6 August 1681, Leipzig), daughter of the archdeacon in Altenburg Magnus Schmalz (11 March 1615, Kohren- 12 December 1683, Altenburg) and Regina Freiesleben (9 September 1629, Altenburg- 28 June 1675, Altenburg) *Johann Gottfried Leibniz (died young) *Elisabeth Leibniz (died young) *Anna Magdalena Leibniz (died young) *Susanna Leibniz (died young) *Anna Rosina Leibniz (25 December 1629, Leipzig- 26 March 1666, Orlamünde) married in February 1653 in Leipzig with the Mag. and later superintendent in Orlamünde Heinrich Freiesleben (5 January 1628, Altenburg- 26 March 1666, Orlamünde) After two years of widowhood, he entered into his second marriage on 24 May 1636 to Dorothea Voigt (18 July 1599, Leipzig- 25 January 1643, Leipzig), the daughter of the Leipzig citizen and bookseller Bartholomäus Voigt (11 April 1564, Halle (Saale)- 18 January 1637, Leipzig) and Maria (née Rambau). The marriage remained childless. His third marriage was on 21 May 1644 in Leipzig to Catharina Schmuck (5 November 1621, Leipzig- 6 February 1664, Leipzig), the daughter of Professor Dr. jur. and Mag. Phil. Wilhelm Schmuck (1 May 1575, Suhl- 28 December 1634, Leipzig) and Gertraude Lindner, the daughter of Johann Lindner and Elisabeth Clode/Klodt. From the marriage came a son and a daughter: *

(21 June 1646- 14 November 1716) *Anna Katharina Leibniz (31 July or 1 August 1648, Leipzig- 13 February 1672 ibid.), married on 25 September 1666 in Leipzig with the Lic. theol. and Vesper preacher Simon Loeffler.

References

External links

Rodovid
a free multilingual family tree portal
"Friedrich_Leibniz"
Retrieved 2012-02-09. * Sariel, Aviram (2019)
"Diabolic Philosophy". Studia Leibnitiana. 51 (1): 99–118
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leibniz, Friedrich 1597 births 1692 deaths 17th-century Latin-language writers University of Altdorf alumni Leipzig University alumni German Christians