 Philosophically more relevant is the work of Leibniz (1646–1716) on a so-called characteristica universalis: the notion of a universal logical calculus that would be the perfect vehicle for scientific reasoning. A central presupposition in Leibniz’ philosophy is that such a perfect language of science is in principle possible because of the perfect nature of the world as God’s creation (ratio essendi = ration cognoscendi, the origin of being is the origin of knowing). This principle was rejected by Wolff (1679–1754) who suggested more heuristically oriented characteristica combinatoria (van Peursen 1987). These ideas had to wait for thinkers like Boole (1854, An Investigation of the Laws of Thought), Frege (1879, Begriffsschrift), Peirce (who in 1886 already suggested that electrical circuits could be used to process logical operations) and Whitehead and Russell (1910–1913, Principia Mathematica) to find a more fruitful treatment.