ESSAYS

ON

THEODICY

ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD,

THE LIBERTY OF MAN,

AND THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.

BY MR. LEIBNIZ.

TheodicyA term coined by Leibniz from the Greek words for "God" and "justice," referring to the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil.

"M. L. de Neufville" was the pseudonym used by Louis de Jaucourt, a French scholar who later became the most prolific contributor to Diderot’s Encyclopédie.

A central rectangular engraving by Bernard Picart. It depicts an orange tree in a large, decorated stone urn situated in a formal garden. In the background is a classical building with a large dome and a gallery of arched windows. To the left, a winged cherub sits on the ground, gesturing towards the tree. A ribbon scroll weaves through the foliage at the top, bearing the English inscription: "So many fruits shall hang from the tree" original Latin: "TOT PENDEBUNT ET AB ARBORE POMA." This is a reference to Virgil’s Eclogues, suggesting the richness and abundance of the author's ideas.. At the bottom left of the image, the artist's credit reads: "B. Picart designed and engraved this, 1720."

1734.