Apr 26, 2026
The Man Voltaire Killed: How an Earthquake Destroyed Leibniz's Reputation
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invented calculus, designed the binary number system that underpins every computer ever built, and made foundational contributions to philosophy, physics, formal logic, and half a dozen other disciplines. He is, by any serious measure, one of the most consequential minds in European history.
Most people know him as the buffoon from Candide.
In 1759, forty-three years after Leibniz's death, Voltaire published his satirical novella and introduced the world to Dr. Pangloss....
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