Leibniz’s Legacy: A Philosophical Framework for AI-Driven Marketing in 2024 from a 17th Century Mathematician

Bob Hutchins
3 min readMay 9, 2024

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In 2024, it may seem counterintuitive to seek marketing guidance from a 17th-century philosopher and mathematician. However, the ideas of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a visionary thinker who made significant contributions to a wide range of fields, offer a surprisingly relevant framework for understanding and navigating the challenges and opportunities of marketing in the age of AI.

Leibniz’s most influential philosophical concept, the theory of monads, proposed that the universe is composed of simple, indivisible, and indestructible substances called monads. Each monad, according to Leibniz, is a unique, self-contained entity with its own distinct properties and internal states, representing the fundamental building blocks of reality. While monads do not directly interact with one another, they exist in a harmonious, synchronized order, orchestrated by a pre-established divine plan.

At first glance, the concept of monads may seem far removed from the world of marketing. However, by drawing parallels between Leibniz’s ideas and the current landscape of AI-driven marketing, we can gain valuable insights and shift our perspectives on how to approach customer engagement in our interconnected, digital environments.

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Bob Hutchins

Bridging Silicon and Soul. Cultural Interpreter, AI Advisor, Digital Strategy, Fractional CMO, The Human Voice Podcast, Author-Our Digital Soul