ABSTRACT
This introduction defines occasionalism, the causal theory at the heart of this monograph. It presents the context of the debate about causation in early modern Germany, and briefly sets forth the four versions of occasionalism studied in this book: that of Erhard Weigel, Johann Christoph Sturm, the young Christian Wolff, and Gottfried Ploucquet. The historical and philosophical connection between these authors emerges. After that, this introduction summarizes the history of historical-philosophical research dedicated to occasionalism and discusses the conceptual tools which have been employed to clarify the scholarly debate. It then defines the precise sense of another key concept of this monograph, that of grounding, and how its use differs from that in contemporary analytic philosophy. The introduction then opens the book’s main narrative by looking at Leibniz’ interaction with occasionalism. Leibniz as critic and interlocutor will be a constant companion throughout this monograph. Finally, the structure of this book is presented.
