Leibniz e le macchine dell’arte. La nave di Teseo e l’identità epistemica degli aggregati leibniziani

Abstract

From an analysis of the textual stratigraphy that can be observed in different parts of Dynamica de potentia manuscripts (1690), we offer to explore Leibniz’s use of the word “machina”, in particular in the famous lemma “machine de la nature” used by the author to define organic aggregates. The study shows how – in the philosophical vocabulary set from a reform of mechanics – the word “machine” is gradually invested with particular significance and is used by the author to designate a conceptual device able to give to aggregates an epistemic unity.