num_pages: 320
description: In the spring of 1672 the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz arrived in Paris on a furtive diplomatic mission. That project was abandoned quickly but Leibniz remained in Paris with a singular goal: to get the most out of the citys intellectual and cultural riches. He benefited above all from his friendships with Frances two greatest philosopher-theologians of the period Antoine Arnauld and Nicolas de Malebranche. The interactions of these three men would prove of great consequence not only for Leibnizs own philosophy but for the development of modern philosophical and religious thought. Despite their wildly different views and personalities the three philosophers shared a single passionate concern: resolving the problem of evil. Why is it that in a world created by an allpowerful all-wise and infinitely just God there is sin and suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people and good things to bad people? This is the story of a clash between radically divergent worldviews. But it is also a very personal story. At its heart are the dramaticand often turbulentrelationships between three brilliant and resolute individuals. In this lively and engaging book Steven Nadler brings to life a debate that obsessed its participants captivated European intellectuals and continues to inform our ways of thinking about God morality and the world.
language: English
title: The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Story of Philosophers, God, and Evil
publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux