Quick Answer
The principle of sufficient reason is the claim that there is a reason why every fact obtains rather than not. It is central to Leibniz's vision of an intelligible reality.
Key Takeaways
- ✦It is stronger than the practical search for causes.
- ✦It motivates contingency arguments.
- ✦Brute facts are its principal rival.
Question
Does the principle say humans can explain everything?
Quick Answer
No. It is a metaphysical claim about reality, not a guarantee that every explanation is available to us.
Why It Matters
Leibniz used it to ask why there is a contingent world at all. If the principle is true, the ultimate explanation cannot merely repeat more contingent facts.
Objections
Some philosophers accept unexplained facts as a stopping point. Others defend a limited principle that governs events but not the totality of reality.
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Sources
- 01Principle of Sufficient ReasonBy Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyConsult source
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Reviewed by ZHAIBIAN AI Editorial Review · 2026-08-23