Modern Monads: Leibniz, Continuity, and the Stream of Consciousness

Conscious perception raises puzzles about whether a perceiving self endures or is a sequence of fleeting events. Reapplying Leibniz's principles in a modern context suggests his search for fundamental indivisible perceiving units remains motivated, and modern physics may help resolve a temporal paradox raised by Russell. Recent condensed matter physics offers a hierarchy of indivisible dynamic units that allow a more subtle application of Leibniz's ideas on continuity and divisibility. A local electromagnetic field may inform a collective mode, bringing it into existence and updating it, causing shifts in energy that divide the mode into individual indivisible excitations—candidates for events of experience. Leibniz's monadic analysis may not escape intact, but his guiding principles may.

Study at a glance

Abstract

What is a perceiving ‘me’ or ‘soul’ and does it endure, perhaps for eternity, or is it merely one of a sequence of evanescent events? Conscious perception poses several puzzles in relation to subject identity and continuity that Leibniz paid close attention to. Re-applying Leibniz’s principles in a modern context suggests two conclusions. Firstly, his search for fundamental indivisible (monadic) perceiving dynamic units looks as motivated as ever. Secondly, modern physics may suggest ways to mitigate the temporal paradox raised for Leibniz by Russell, in which events of experience may be both distinct and part of a continuum. Recent condensed matter physics provides a hierarchy in indivisible dynamic units that invites a more subtle application of Leibniz’s ideas on continuity and divisibility. Our experience as a ‘string of mental pearls’ may be peculiar to certain types of fundamental dynamic unit with a ‘constant internal principle of change’ but variable energy content, typified by collective modes of excitation in condensed matter. In simple terms, a local domain of the electromagnetic field may ‘inform’ a collective mode (such as an acoustic mode) both by bringing it into existence and, in addition, through ongoing variation, updating the mode about changing events to which the mode can respond with shifts in energy content. These shifts will divide the mode into individual indivisible excitations - perhaps the best candidates for individual events of experience. Leibniz’s monadic analysis may not escape intact, but his guiding principles may.