born Jan. 24, 1679, Breslau, Silesia
died April 9, 1754, Halle, Prussia
German philosopher, mathematician, and scientist.
He was educated at the universities of Breslau, Jena, and Leipzig and was a pupil of rationalism . His series of essays, all beginning under the title Rational Ideas, covered many subjects and expounded Leibniz's theories in popular form.