Leibniz’s irreducible sensory perception and appreciation of artistic beauty

Abstract

This article analyzes the status of sensory perception in the Leibnizian universe and its consequences in the field of what is to be called aesthetics. The criticism of the Cartesian clear and distinct knowledge leads Leibniz to a quite complex epistemological position, despite sharing with Cartesianism that sense perceptions (colors, smells, etc.) are confusing. It is the sensible perception which leads to the infinite complexity of the real world, though the knowledge we have of it is confusing and remains, perhaps in some areas, always confusing.