Baron Gottfried Wilhelm von (ˈɡɔtfriːt ˈvɪlhɛlm fɔn). 1646–1716, German rationalist philosopher and mathematician. He conceived of the universe as a hierarchy of independent units or monads, synchronized by pre-established harmony. His works include Théodicée (1710) and Monadologia (1714). He also devised a system of calculus, independently of Newton