The theodicy essays of Gottfried Leibniz are considered landmark examples which treat the subject thoroughly and comprehensively with lengthy and incisive philosophical discussions.

Theodicy is defined as the study of the question: ""Why does evil occur in a world with a God who is good?"" - Leibniz was far from being the only scholar and philosopher troubled by evil, which he viewed as a problem that required answering from a religious and philosophical perspective. Authoring his treatises in the early 18th century, Leibniz ably details his own and past arguments on the theme of theodicy. It was arguably the issue which occupied (and preoccupied) his mind more than any other: indeed, this book represents the only book-length treatise ever written by Leibniz.

This edition of the text includes all the original appendices, which include subsequent reflections on the original book. The translation to English from Norwegian by scholar E. M. Huggard is among the most appreciated to this day.