On Leibniz’s Conception of Material Plastic Natures

The aim of this paper is to propose a study of Leibniz’s expression “natures plastiques materielles”, contained in the 1705 writing Considerations sur les Principes de Vie, et sur les Natures Plastiques, par l’Auteur du Système de l’Harmonie preétablie, as opposed to Cudworth’s doctrine of immaterial plastic natures. The reading given here will explore and evaluate the hypothesis that by using the expression “material” to connote his version of the plastic natures, Leibniz is referring not eminently to secondary matter, and hence to derivative force – as tendentially claimed by scholars (for instance Smith and Phemister 2007, Di Bella 2015, Duchesneau 2015) –, but rather to primary matter, and thus primitive passive force. The first section of my contribution will show how Leibniz’s understanding of matter contrasts with that of Cudworth: whilst the latter conceives matter in a cartesian fashion, identifying it with a “resisting or antitypous extension” (TIS, III, XXXVII.16) the former understands extension as originated in nature by the “diffusion” or repetition of a not self-subsistent feature of substances, i.e., primitive passive force, primary matter. It will be argued that Cudworth’s appeal to the immateriality of the plastic agent (and agents) is motivated by this very understanding of matter as extension, which requires a different substance to operate – though not consciously – on it. The second section will focus on Leibniz’s own conception of material plastic natures. The discussion will be conducted mainly around the two points Leibniz employs to motivate his commitment to the materiality of plastic natures: (1) Leibniz’s endorsement of preformationism (2) the structure of organic beings. Concerning the first point, an analysis of the role of primary matter in preformation will be conducted. Especially, in line with the reading given by Phemister (2005) Arthur (2018) and Nachtomy (2019), primary matter will be taken in account as the primitive passive force which cannot be separated – as an autonomous thing – from the primitive active force with which it constitutes a substance. Moreover, referring to Leibniz’s model of primitive force as a “law of the series”, primitive passive force will be presented as somehow shaping the individual development of the series. It will therefore be shown how primary matter contributes to the individuality of a given living being, constituting its disposition towards having an organic body. This will lead to the second point, since the organic arrangement of secondary matter will be presented as the accomplishment of the dispositional requirements posed by primary matter within each substance.