Introduction.

...of the characters, the Real Characteristic original: "Characteristica realis," a system of symbols that represent concepts directly rather than sounds or words, as well as their combination, posed the greatest difficulties. On the other hand, it was easier to draft the arrangement and basic features for the General Science original Latin: "Scientia generalis"; among Leibniz's papers from an earlier period, several plans and elaborations on this subject can be found.

From the previously unpublished letters of Leibniz to Oldenburg Henry Oldenburg, Secretary of the Royal Society in London from the years 1670 and 1671, it becomes clear how Leibniz pursued the problem further and which writings influenced it. In his first letter, dated Mainz original Latin: "Moguntiae", July 15/22, 1670, Leibniz writes: "I have from the most illustrious Hezenthaler the things your most celebrated [John] Wilkins is deliberating regarding the establishment of a certain perfect language for the use of Philosophy... John Wilkins published "An Essay Towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language" in 1668. As for the universal language, I know that a certain Illustrious Man has, through costly travels, collected and compared the roots of most of the world's languages for the sake of establishing a mother-language. Moreover, Athanasius Kircher wrote to me that, under the auspices of Emperor Ferdinand III, he himself had worked much on this matter, though not yet with full success, and that many things observed by him in that business have been transferred into his Tower of Babel Kircher’s "Turris Babel," published in 1679, soon to be published." — In the letter of December 8, 1670, Oldenburg replies: "I will gladly send the history by Joseph Glanvill regarding the increase of the Sciences and Arts which you desire"; he reports on April 24, 1671, that he has sent the requested books, including Glanvill's Plus Ultra Latin: "Further Beyond" *). In the letter dated Frankfurt, April 29, 1671, [Leibniz writes]:

...seen. Through this, all composite notions original: "Notiones compositae" of the whole world are reduced into a few simple ones original: "simplices" as their alphabet, and from the combination of such an alphabet, a path is cleared to eventually find all things in an orderly method original: "ordinata methodo", along with their theorems and whatever else is possible to discover from them. This invention—provided that, God willing, it is put into effect—is considered by me to be the most important, as the mother of all inventions, even if it may not appear so at the present time. I have through this found everything that needs to be related, and I hope to accomplish even more.

*) Joseph Glanvill (1636—1680) was a member of the Royal Society in London. In his work Plus Ultra, or the Progress and Advancement of Knowledge since the Days of Aristotle: in an account of some of the most remarkable late improvements of practical useful learning to encourage philosophical endeavours; occasioned by a conference with one of the Notional Way, London 1668, he defended modern science against the [perceived...] The text cuts off mid-word "Be-," likely referring to "Behauptungen" or "Beschuldigungen" (assertions or accusations) of the Aristotelians.