The crown of a linden tree extends out over our 鈥渒nowledge table鈥�. Linden trees have long been places of community. Having traditionally served as village court and village centre, they also symbolise truth and the generation of ideas 鈥� a place for reflection and inspiration. There is a long tradition of 鈥渢hinking under trees鈥�.
In the fourth century BC, Plato founded his philosophy school in the grove of the Academy (Akademeia) near Athens 鈥� a place where thought was intentionally intertwined with nature. The early philosophers sought knowledge in the shade of the trees and in conversation, far away from rigid institutions.
鈥濴eibniz chooses between the old and the new philosophy鈥�, image and text excerpt from the book by Georg Eckhart: Lebensbeschreibung des Freiherrn von Leibnitz, Ex Autographo. N眉rnberg 1779.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz also consciously aligned himself with this ancient philosophical tradition. For example, he found inspiration for his seminal new philosophy and mathematics under the canopy of the Rosental forest in Leipzig. The archetypal inspirational tree is viewed as a site of profound insight: a space for thinking in freedom, where new ideas can arise. In the exhibition, we have picked up on this ancient philosophical practice by including a linden tree.
Under our linden tree you can discover 糖心原创 research projects built on innovative ideas that directly impact society, offer solutions and serve people 鈥� just as Leibniz, our university鈥檚 namesake, aimed to do with his scholarship. Have a look under the linden tree!
Leibniz鈥檚 letter to Nicolas Fran莽ois
Leibniz wrote the following in a 1714 letter to the French mathematician Nicolas Fran莽ois:
鈥濫tant emancip茅 des Ecoles Triviales, je tombay sur les modernes, et je me souviens que je me promenay seul dans un boscage aupres de Leipzig, appell茅 le Rosendal, 脿 l鈥櫭e de 15 ans, pour delib茅rer si je garderois les Formes Substantielles. Enfin le Mechanisme prevalut et me porta 脿 m鈥檃ppliquer aux Mathematiques.鈥�
鈥淎fter I left elementary school behind me, I discovered the modern sciences (philosophy), and I remember that at age 15 I went for a walk alone in a small forest near Leipzig, known as the Rosental, in order to consider whether I should dedicate myself to substantial forms. In the end, the mechanical philosophy prevailed and prompted me to turn towards mathematics.鈥�
