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Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz was born in 1646 in Leipzig, Saxony (now Germany). Leibniz was born to mother Catharina Schmuck and father Fredrich Leibniz, who was a professor of moral philosophy at Leipzig University. Fredrich died when Leibniz was only six years old, leaving widow Catharina to raise their child, and it is believed that the mother’s role in Leibniz’s early childhood played a major role in Leibniz’s moral and religious values. At this time he was being sent to a school which had a very poor program, but this young man was much more intelligent then many would have ever imagined. By the age of 12 Leibniz had taught himself to read more complex forms of Latin (learning the basics in his school), began to learn how to read Greek, and mastered ordinary school texts on mathematics, philosophy, law, and theology. It is believed that the motivation that Leibniz possessed was mainly due to the desire to read the books and notes written by his father, and eventually he also began to study from his father’s writings. In 1661, Leibniz, who was 14 at the time, had entered the University of Leipzig (which during that era was a very common happening).
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