This volume contains papers that represent Leibniz's early thoughts on the problem of evil, centering on a dialogue, the Confessio philosophi, in which he formulates a general account of God's relation to sin and evil that becomes a fixture in his thinking.

How can God be understood to be the ultimate cause, asks Leibniz, without God being considered as the author of sin, a conclusion incompatible with God's holiness?

Leibniz's attempts to justify the way of God to humans lead him to deep discussion of related topics: the nature of free choice, the problems of...