Discourse on Metaphysics
The Discourse on Metaphysics is a short (60 pages in translation) book by Gottfried Leibniz in which he develops a philosophy concerning physical substance, motion and resistance of bodies, and God's role within the universe. It is divided into 37 chapters. His foundations for the work concern the conception of God as an absolutely perfect being (I), that God is good but goodness exists independently of God (a rejection of divine command theory) (II), and that God has created the world in an ordered and perfect fashion (III-VII).
At the time of its writing Discourse made the controversial claim That the opinions of... scholastic philosophers are not to be wholly despised (XI). Early work in modern philosophy during The Enlightenment were based on a rejection of many of the precepts of medieval philosophy. Leibniz saw the failures of scholasticism merely as one of rigor. [If] some careful and meditative mind were to take the trouble to clarify and direct their thoughts in the manner of analytic geometer, he would find a great treasure of important truths, wholly demonstrable.
Leibniz's conception of physical substance is expanded upon in The Monadology.
See Also
Leibniz- Discourse on Metaphysics, an online copy of the text with a table of contents and the sole illustration in the work.
References
Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Discourse on Metaphysics and the Monadology (trans. George R. Montgomery). Prometheus Books, 1992 (first published by Open Court, 1908).