The Leibniz-Sozietät bears its name in memory of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz as the initiator and first president of the Electoral Brandenburg Society of Sciences founded in 1700, who developed the learned society in close cooperation with Daniel Ernst Jablonski as vice-president (later president; namesake of a medal of the Leibniz-Sozietät).

There is an ongoing controversy as to whether the Leibniz-Sozietät or the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities should be regarded as the legitimate successor organization to the Societät der Wissenschaften, which was founded in 1700.

It is linked to the Brandenburgische Sozietät der Wissenschaften (Brandenburg Society of Sciences and Humanities) through its members and their scientific work, which has been uninterrupted for centuries.

In particular, the members and guests foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary discourse as well as the discussion of current fundamental problems of science and society.

The purpose of the Leibniz-Sozietät is to cultivate and promote the sciences in the tradition of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and the public interest.

The members of the Leibniz-Sozietät gather monthly for public meetings, at which scientific lectures are held and discussed, and they organise the yearly “Leibniz Day” close to the birthday of G. W. Leibniz on 1 July, which had already been established in the academy's statute of 1812 and which also serves as a public accountability event.

In ten working groups, the members, together with other specialist colleagues and young scientists, deal with central issues of science and society.

The working groups are particularly active in the following areas: History of Science and Academia, Pedagogy, Social Analysis and Classes, Earth, Mining and Environmental, Space and Astro Sciences,[8] Principle of Simplicity, Vormärz and 1848 Revolution Research, Tolerance, Time and Evolution, General Technology[9] and Emergent Systems, Information and Society.

[10] The results achieved, together with their public discussion, also provide suggestions for future scientific strategy and for shaping policy and society.

In order to initiate and promote “interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary projects”, the Leibniz-Sozietät works together with other scientific institutions in Germany and abroad, usually on the basis of agreements of cooperation.