Greek philosopher, born in Abdera, Thrace. He travelled in the East, and was by far the most learned thinker of his time. He wrote many physical, mathematical, ethical, and musical works, but only fragments survive. His atomic system assumes an infinite multitude of everlasting atoms, from whose random combinations springs an infinite number of successive world-orders in which there is law but not design. This system, derived from Leucippus, was developed by Epicurus and Lucretius.
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Western Philosophy Pre-Socratic philosophy |
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|---|---|
| Democritus | |
| Name: | Democritus |
| Birth: | ca. 370 BC |
| School/tradition: | pre-Socratic Philosophy |
| Main interests: | metaphysics / physics |
| Notable ideas: | Atomism |
| Influences: | Leucippus, Melissus of Samos |
| Influenced: | Epicurus, Lucretius |
Democritus (Greek: Δημόκριτος) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher (born at Abdera in Thrace around 460 BC). Democritus was a student of Leucippus and co-originator of the belief that all matter is made up of various imperishable, indivisible elements which he called "atomos", from which we get the English word atom.
According to legend, Democritus was supposed to be mad because he laughed at everything, and so he was sent to Hippocrates to be cured. Hippocrates pointed out that he was not mad, but, instead, had a happy disposition.
Democritus' life
The original sources for Democritus' life are known to be untrustworthy, so the following account may have fictional elements. They not only viewed him as something more than mortal but even proposed to put him in control of their public affairs. (Unfortunately, all that remains is about a hundred fragments.)
Democritus' teaching
The world
What was real to Democritus consists of the atoms and the "nothing," that is, the void. According to Democritus's beliefs, atoms are indestructible, eternal, and in constant motion. They are not all the same, as they differ in shape and position. When the atoms move they come into contact with other atoms and form bodies.
The soul
Although intelligence is not allowed to explain the organization of the world, according to Democritus, he does give place for the existence of a soul, which he contends is composed of exceedingly fine and spherical atoms.
Democritus explained senses along these lines, as well. but in reality atoms and the void alone exist." This means that senses could not provide a direct or certain knowledge of the world. In his words, "It is necessary to realize that by this principle man is cut off from the real." Later philosophers use this to assert that any reliable knowledge can be obtained, but Democritus felt differently:
There are two forms of knowledge: one legitimate, one bastard. When the bastard form cannot see more minutely, nor hear nor smell nor taste nor perceive through the touch, then another finer form must be employed. - Democritus, Fragment 11, The Symmetry of Life
This finer form is reasoning, although Democritus does not explain reason's place in the atomistic view.
Epistemology
The knowledge of truth according to Democritus is difficult, since the perception through the senses is subjective. and even to the senses of each individual, things do not always seem the same. Which then, of these impressions are true and which are false is not obvious; And this is why Democritus, at any rate, says that either there is no truth or to us at least it is not evident.”(Aristotle, Metaphysics IV, 1009 b 7).
“ Democritus .. says: By convention hot, by convention cold, but in reality atoms and void, and also in reality we know nothing, since the truth is at bottom.” (Fr.
“ But in the Canons Democritus says there are two kinds of knowing, one through the senses and the other through the intellect.
“ Democritus used to say that 'he prefers to discover a causality rather than become a king of Persia'.” (Fr.118)
(Excerpt from Democritus' Gnoseology 'Handbook of Greek Philosophy: From Thales to the Stoics Analysis and Fragments', Nikolaos Bakalis, Trafford Publishing 2005, ISBN 1-412-04843-5. We only know this through citations of his works (titled On Numbers, On Geometrics, On Tangencies, On Mapping, and On Irrationals) in other writings, since most of Democritus' body of work did not survive the Middle Ages.
Astronomy
Democritus was also the first philosopher we know who realized that the celestial body we perceive as the Milky Way is formed from the light of distant stars. Democritus was among the first to propose that the universe contains many worlds, some of them inhabited:
"In some worlds there is no Sun and Moon, in others they are larger than in our world, and in others more numerous.
Atoms and the void
Democritus agreed that everything which is must be eternal, but denied that "the void" can be equated with nothing. all other properties that we attribute to matter, such as color and taste, are but the result of complex interactions between the atoms in our bodies and the atoms of the matter that we are examining. Furthermore, he believed that the real properties of atoms determine the perceived properties of matter--for example, something that tastes sharp is made of small, pointy atoms, while something sweet is made of large, round atoms; the interactions of those atoms with the atoms of the tongue give the impression of taste. In Democritus' own words, "By convention sweet, by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention colour: but in reality atoms and void." Parmenides argued that the existence of a thing implied that it could not have "come into being", because "nothing comes from nothing". Moreover, he argued, movement was impossible, because one must move into "the void" and (as he identified "the void" with "nothing") the void does not exist and cannot be "moved into".
Ethics
Although Democritus is most well known as the propounder of atomism, most of his extant fragments actually relate to the field of ethics. but to overcome it is the mark of a rational man." "Moderation increases enjoyment, and makes pleasure even greater." "It is childish, not manly, to have immoderate desires." "The good things of life are produced by learning with hard work; the bad are reaped of their own accord, without hard work." "The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures. but if one cannot, one should not join him in crime. "One must either be good, or imitate a good man." "Men find happiness neither by means of the body nor through possessions, but through uprightness and wisdom." "Refrain from crimes not through fear but through duty." "It is a great thing, when one is in adversity, to think of duty." "Repentance for shameful deeds is salvation in life." "The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged." "Magnanimity consists in enduring tactlessness with mildness." "Well-ordered behavior consists in obedience to the law, the ruler, and the man wiser than oneself." "When inferior men censure, the good man pays no heed." "It is hard to be governed by one’s inferior." "The man enslaved to wealth can never be honest." "In power of persuasion, reasoning is far stronger than gold." "He who tries to give intelligent advice to one who thinks he has intelligence, is wasting his time." "Many who have not learnt Reason, nevertheless live according to reason." "Many whose actions are most disgraceful practice the best utterances." "The foolish learn sense through misfortune." "One should emulate the deeds and actions of virtue, not the words." "Noble deeds are recognized and emulated by those of natural good disposition." "Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character." "The hopes of right-thinking men are attainable, but those of the unintelligent are impossible." "Neither skill nor wisdom is attainable unless one learns." "It is better to examine ones own faults than those of others." "Those whose character is well-ordered have also a well-ordered life." "Virtue consists, not in avoiding wrong-doing, but in having no wish thereto." "To pronounce praise on noble deeds is noble; for to do so over base deeds is the work of a false deceiver." "Many much-learned men have no intelligence." (Also attributed to Heraclitus) "One should practice much sense, not much learning." "It is better to deliberate before action than to repent afterwards." "Believe not everything, but only what is approved: the former is foolish, the latter the act of a sensible man." "The worthy and the unworthy man are to be known not only by their actions, but also their wishes." "For all men, good and true are the same; but pleasant differs for different men." "Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man." "Untimely pleasures produce unpleasantness. " "Violent desire for one thing blinds the soul to all others." "Virtuous love consists in decorous desire for the beautiful." "Accept no pleasure unless it is beneficial." "It is better for fools to be ruled than to rule." "For the foolish, not reason but advantage is the teacher." "Fame and wealth without intelligence are dangerous possessions." "To make money is not without use, but if it comes from wrong-doing, nothing is worse." "It is a bad thing to imitate the bad, and not even to wish to imitate the good." "It is shameful to be so busy over the affairs of others that one knows nothing of ones own." "Constant delay means work undone." "The false and the seemingly good are those who do all in word, not in fact." "The cause of error is ignorance of the better." "The man who does shameful deeds must first feel shame in his own eyes." "He who contradicts and chatters much is ill-fitted for learning what he ought." "It is greed to do all the talking and not be willing to listen." "One must be on ones guard against the bad man, lest he seize his opportunity." "The envious man torments himself like an enemy." "An enemy is not he who injures, but he who wishes to do so." "The enmity of relatives is much worse than that of strangers." "Be not suspicious towards all, but be cautious and firm." "Accept favors in the foreknowledge that you will have to give a greater return for them." "When you do a favor study the recipient first, lest he prove to be a scoundrel and repay evil for good." "Small favors at the right time are greatest to the recipients." "Marks of honor at the right time are greatly valued by right-thinking men, who understand why they are being honored." "The generous man is he who does not look for a return, but who does good from choice." "Many who seem friendly are not so, and those who do not seem so, are." "The friendship of one intelligent man is better than that of all the unintelligent." "Life is not worth living for the man who has not even one good friend." "The man whose tested friends do not stay long with him is bad-tempered." "A life without festivity is a long road without an inn." "Water can be both good and bad, of use and dangerous.
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