%0 Journal Article %J Philosophica %D 2001 %T This Universe Is the `Best' of All Possible Worlds. A Tentative Reconstruction of the Metaphysical System of Leo Apostel %A Christiaens, Wim %X

After presenting Apostel’s views on scientific realism, I present definitions of the concepts of ontology and metaphysics. I then proceed to develop Apostel’s basic ontology and his metaphysics. Apostel proposed a particular understanding of existence based on his views on causation. He also developed a view of the universe as a causal self-explaining system. I discuss and illustrate three kinds of what he calls “metaphysical deductions” that aim to deliver such a view of the universe. The most important one is the Leibnizian variational method, that should allow us to deduce the existing universe as the ‘best’ of all possible worlds.

%B Philosophica %V 67 %P 115-146 %G eng