  Since the theory of Striving Possibles seems so obviously to conflict with the Divine Choice Theory and since the latter is so much a part of Leibniz's mature system, we seem to have good reason to question how seriously to take this view. (The classic articles on this issue are those by Shields and Blumenfeld listed in the bibliography.) There is, however, a common way to reconcile the two views: the Divine Choice Theory literally explains the origin of this world, and the Striving Possibles Theory is merely a metaphor. But a metaphor for what? Answer: for the moral evaluation taking place in the divine intellect. In other words, God ought to be understood as surveying not simply all worlds (sets of compossible essences) prior to creation but also, in some sense, individual essences; and those essences which individually are most perfect and which collectively can form a world are in fact elected for existence. 