Democritus is a well-known personality of ancient times. Thanks to his special powers of observation, he became famous as a philosopher, scientist and founder of atomism. According to legend, Democritus differed from the people in deep wisdom and broad knowledge. It was this man who first guessed the existence of the world without end and edge, proved that the universe is a concentration of the smallest particles that create our planet. Biography, the main ideas of Democritus will be presented to your attention in the article.
The birthplace of Democritus is the Greek city of Abdere, which at that time was called the "settlement of fools." The philosopher's family was famous and wealthy in their town, which allowed the young discoverer to get a good education and upbringing. The Persian sages and the real teacher of the philosophical school Leucippus gave impetus to the development of the young man's thinking and his future teaching - atomism.
After the death of his father, having received an inheritance, Democritus sets off on a journey. Being a purposeful young man, he visits Babylon, Egypt and other cities of the Ancient East, where he meets thinkers and magicians. Communicating with new people of different cultures and worlds, acquiring knowledge and experience, the sage “adds up” a picture, creating his own system of philosophy.
Eight years of wandering around the world gave their result. According to the theory of Democritus, everything that happens around is the movement of atoms. Small particles are heterogeneous in appearance, and, being in space, they create the material world. The future philosopher defined himself very early as a wise and reasonable person, choosing the path of a person with knowledge.
As the biography of Democritus tells (see below for a summary of his ideas), after returning from a trip to his homeland, the founder of the teaching of atomism did not bring any material values. According to the local residents of the town, the wanderer became completely impoverished, having squandered his inheritance. For this reason, a case was brought to court. In those days, wasting an inheritance was considered a serious crime. The civil representative told the judge that Democritus' father had left his fortune to his sons in the hope that the children would find ways to increase it several times over. However, the philosopher abandoned land ownership and cattle breeding in favor of banknotes. Although money was a lesser share of wealth, their extravagance was spent on ordinary travel. According to the Law, a citizen who squandered his inheritance for nothing should be expelled from the country and buried in another area.
According to the biography of the philosopher Democritus, when the court was ready to listen to the side of the "ungrateful son", he did not make excuses. He only repeated his thoughts and observations. The young man argued that the money spent on travel was invested in studies in order to learn the worldly wisdom of other peoples, their customs and science. In addition, he was the first who traveled around so much land, exploring it in detail and fighting knowledge with other sages. For more evidence, Democritus read out in the courtroom his work on the creation and structure of the world, its things.
After hearing the accused, the Greek people were stunned. The Abderites realized the truth - before them is a real philosopher and sage. The accusations and claims were unconditionally dropped, and the new creation was valued at a much larger sum than the wealth spent in eight years. In addition, Democritus was glorified with copper statues and was given a respectable middle name - Wisdom.
It is not known how true this legend is, but the active participation of the sage in the life of the townspeople and his respect is evidenced by a Greek silver coin with a coat of arms and a nominal inscription.
The behavior of a famous person was sometimes outlandish. The bustle of the city greatly tired the scientist. As soon as Democritus (a brief biography and his discoveries - in the article) felt that he was about to go crazy, he quickly packed up and left the city. Some residents saw him in the cemetery, where he also recovered and immersed himself in his thoughts. Such manners and mores frightened the inhabitants - they considered him insane.
Among the people, Democritus was given another interesting nickname - Laughing. The townspeople were often worried about the state of the scientist, which was expressed in strange behavior. Delving into his ideas and knowledge, he "disconnected" from the real world, forgot about those around him and the situation. It would seem that there is nothing strange in this, but the thought processes were suddenly accompanied by hysterical laughter.
Wanting to eliminate anxiety among the population, the inhabitants of Abdere invited Hippocrates to help. However, the examination of the philosopher did not label Democritus "madman". After a long conversation between men and as a result of his observations, Hippocrates realized that he was facing a brilliant personality, immersed in the process of scientific research. Often the laughter of a famous person was caused by the action of people. In his opinion, they were engaged in completely frivolous and useless matters too responsibly. The sage himself believed that there is nothing more serious than the knowledge of the world and the pursuit of science.
Did Democritus have a family? The biography and personal life of the scientist have been studied in detail, and there is an answer to this question. He never married and had no children, as he believed that all this would interfere with his mental work. Various stories and legends roam about the old age and death of the founder of atomism. It is known that Democritus lost his sight at the end of his life. According to some legends, perhaps the trouble occurred through the fault of the philosopher himself. He burned out his eyes by directing a sunbeam into a concave mirror. This was done in a sound mind, so that daylight could not overshadow the sharpness of his wisdom and mind.
The most interesting thing in the biography of Democritus is that, according to one version, the old man blinded himself on purpose so as not to be tempted by looking at women. The huge lust of the female body knocked him out of correct and competent thoughts. And this is at the age of 90! But, over time, this version was refuted.
The scientist died at the age of 107. Probably, an elderly man had the opportunity to postpone the minutes of death by inhaling the "aromas" of warm bottles.
Over an incredibly long life, many works were written on the exact sciences, philosophy and medicine. The book "On Agriculture" contains valuable advice about agriculture. A lot of advice was also given to horticulture, especially about vineyards.
Democritus devoted himself entirely to the knowledge of the universe. The philosopher spent his youth in travels, seeking knowledge and experience in Persia, Babylon, and left the rest of his life for scientific studies.
The scientist made a clear distinction between bodily goods and spiritual pleasures, which he considered divine. In his opinion, it is not money that makes the human soul happy, but truth and wisdom. If in a beautiful body there is no mind and rationality, then this is something bestial. Harmony of the spirit, humility, equanimity are the qualities that a person should possess when it comes to the highest good. However, these traits are not common to every individual. Reason and art cannot be achieved unless it is learned.
The biography of Democritus contains information that upon returning to his native city of Abdere, he became interested in philosophy, becoming a local teacher. The scientist was very popular among the inhabitants, his merits were glorified. In addition, according to the chronicles, the founder of atomism was also a brilliant orator. Being engaged in sciences, Democritus devoted a lot of time to eloquence, soon creating a special manual on the ability to speak convincingly and beautifully.
During his teachings, the philosopher made great efforts to create his own compositions. How many works were written is not exactly known. But Diogenes Laertes tried to collect all his works. In general, the collection of creations consisted of more than 70 compositions. The most popular and well-known of them are "On Logic, or Merilo" and "The Great Diacosmos".
In relation to the world, Democritus, whose brief biography and philosophy are still interesting to his contemporaries, distinguished two sides of phenomena:
Despite the completely different kinds of properties, they appear as a result of the movement of atoms. The main idea of the thinker - the connection of atoms leads to the emergence of a phenomenon, and their separation to its disappearance. As a result of the interaction of atoms - the diversity of the created world, where the center is a motionless cylindrical earth, surrounded by an accumulation of air. It is in this space that the movement of various celestial incandescent bodies occurs. Substances also consist of the smallest particles, and have gone up in height due to circular motions.
Another interesting fact, according to the philosopher: all things in the world are saturated with atoms of fire. They are round and smooth tiny particles that give life to the universe. Especially a lot of them, oddly enough, in the human body.
The scientific works of Democritus say that it was man who was the main object of study of the ancient Greek scientist. He was looking for proof that our entire body is a purposeful device. The brain is responsible for thinking, the heart is responsible for feelings, and in general the human body is the vessel of the soul. The most important task of every being is the striving in the development of his mental state.
Whatever the circumstances, it is important to maintain peace of mind and calmness. Mental knowledge, abstinence and purity of thoughts are the basis of the moral philosophy of the thinker. This is the only way to know true knowledge and find the right course of life and happiness.
According to the results of philosophical works, we can conclude that the gods have no place in the world. Atomism categorically denied the existence of otherworldly forces. The scientist was sure that the people themselves came up with mythical images and worship them.
According to his reasoning, the deity is the forces of human thought and nature. Mythical incarnations created by religion based on possibly fictional observations, mortal beings.
The more people are closed and focused on themselves, the happier they are. For his own expression of thoughts, Democritus introduced into Russian speech new words "well-being", "fearlessness", "harmony" and others. Compassion is the main term of the ethics of the ancient Greek philosopher. Even the scientist dedicated a separate book to him, in which the emphasis was on limiting bodily pleasures in the name of reason and control. The thinker was sure that complacency arises only when a measured life and moderation in needs begin. Democritus learned to be happy with what he has and not to envy rich and famous personalities.
The human body, according to the sage, is like the cosmos, and his soul is an atom. The mobility of small round particles leads to the movement of the soul itself. This fact forced to represent it in the form of rounded fiery atoms. When a person inhales, new fiery particles enter the body along with oxygen, replacing the spent ones. It is this factor that stops the vital activity of the organism, leading it to death.
How amazing and multifaceted were the interests of Democritus! There is no area of knowledge that a scientist would not touch.
Colleagues of the thinker Democritus gravitated towards a certain current of philosophical thought, occasionally being distracted by related theories. The life attitude of the Abdera philosopher was absolutely opposite - the sage tried to understand many mysterious phenomena, expressed a weighty opinion about the opposing disciplines, and was interested in a wide range of sciences. Therefore, the philosophy of Democritus is a valuable contribution to the development of ancient Greek society, is the basis for subsequent world intellectual concepts.
Speaking about the biography of ancient philosophers, it should be remembered that reliable facts about their lives that have come down to our time are practically reduced to zero. We are talking about millennia of ancient history, when there were no cutting-edge devices capable of storing important information (which, moreover, at that time, was not such). We can draw conclusions on the basis of tales, retellings, legends, which to some extent interpret reality. The biography of Democritus is no exception.
Antique manuscripts claim that the ancient Greek philosopher was born in 460 BC. on the east coast of Greece (city of Abder). His family was rich, since most of his life the thinker was busy traveling and thinking, which required considerable expenses. He visited many countries in Asia, Africa, Europe. I saw the ways of different peoples. He made philosophical conclusions from careful observations. Democritus could just burst into laughter for no apparent reason, for which he was taken for a lunatic. Once, for such tricks, he was even taken to the famous doctor Hippocrates. But the doctor confirmed the complete emotional and physical health of the patient, and also noted the exclusivity of his mind. Just the everyday bustle of the townspeople seemed funny to the sage, so he was nicknamed the "laughing philosopher."
Ultimately, the family's fortune was squandered, for which, in ancient Greece, a trial was due. The Thinker appeared before the court, delivered an acquittal speech and was pardoned, the judge considered that his father's money had not been spent in vain.
Democritus lived a respectable life, died 104 years old.
The predecessor of Democritus, Leucippus, was not well known in the scientific community, but he put forward the theory of the "atom", which was later developed by the Abdera philosopher. It became his most important work. The essence of the teaching comes down to the study of the smallest indivisible particle, which has a unique natural property - movement. Atoms, the philosopher Democritus, considered as infinity. The thinker, being one of the first materialists, believed: thanks to the chaotic movement of atoms, the variety of shapes and sizes, bodies are combined. Hence comes the atomistic materialism of Democritus.
The scientist assumed the presence of natural interatomic magnetism: “The atom is indivisible, integral. Everything that does not have emptiness inside has at least a small amount of emptiness outside. From the foregoing, they conclude that the atoms still repel each other a little, at the same time they attract. This is a materialistic paradox."
In the words of a materialistically inclined sage, atoms are “what”, vacuum is “nothing”. From this it follows that objects, bodies, sensations have no color, taste, smell, this is just a consequence of a diverse combination of atoms.
Democritus in his atomistic teaching relied on the methodological principle of isonomy, that is, the absence of a sufficient basis. In more detail, the formulation boils down to the following - any possible phenomenon has ever been or will ever be, because there is no logical proof that any phenomenon existed in an established form, and not some other. The following conclusion follows from democratic atomism: if a particular body has the ability to exist in various forms, these forms are real. The isonomy of Democritus suggests:
The last rule of isonomy means that the movement is an independent inexplicable phenomenon, only its changes are subject to explanation.
Democritus called the cosmos the "Great Void". According to the theory of the scientist, the primordial chaos gave rise to a whirlwind in the great void. The result of the vortex was the asymmetry of the Universe, later the appearance of the center and the outskirts. Heavy bodies, displacing light ones, accumulate in the middle. The cosmic center, according to the philosopher, is the planet Earth. The earth consists of heavy atoms, the upper shells of light ones.
Democritus is considered an adherent of the theory of the plurality of worlds. The concept implies their infinite number and magnitude; growth trend, stop and decrease; different density of worlds in different places of the great void; the presence of luminaries, their absence or multiplicity; lack of animal, plant worlds.
Since our planet is the center of the universe, it does not need to move. Although in the previous theory, Democritus believed that she was in motion, but for certain reasons she stopped her path.
The cosmologist suggested that the Earth has a centrifugal force that prevents the collapse of celestial bodies on it. The scientific view of the thinker considered the relationship between the removal of celestial objects from the Earth and the slowdown in their speed.
It was Democritus who suggested that the Milky Way is nothing more than a cluster of a huge number of microscopic stars that are in such close proximity to each other that they form a single glow.
The philosophers of ancient Greece had a special attitude to ethics, each dwelling on his own favorite virtue. For the Abder thinker, it was a sense of proportion. The measure reflects the behavior of the individual, based on his inner potential. Satisfaction, measured by a measure, ceases to be a sensual sensation, develops into good.
The thinker believed that in order to achieve harmony in society, a person must experience euthymia - a state of serene disposition of the soul, devoid of extremes. The idea of euthymia promotes sensual pleasures, extols blissful peace.
Even the Greek philosopher believed that an important aspect of finding happiness is wisdom. Wisdom can only be achieved through the acquisition of knowledge. Anger, hatred, and other vices breed in ignorance.
The atomistic materialism of the ancient atomist comes from his theory of atoms, which strikingly reflects the conclusions of the materialists of the twentieth century.
The ability of an ancient thinker to construct a theory about the structure of elementary particles, not being able to confirm it with scientific research, is admirable. How talented, what a genius this man was. Living thousands of years ago, he almost unmistakably penetrated one of the hard-to-justify mysteries of the universe. An atom, a molecule, being in continuous chaotic movement within outer space, contribute to the formation of hurricane whirlwinds, material bodies. The difference in their properties is explained by the shape and size diversity. Democritus put forward a theory (not having empirically possible provability) about changes in the human body when exposed to atomic radiation.
In ancient times, people attributed the explanation of mysterious phenomena to divine participation; it was not without reason that the Olympic Gods became famous in the civilized world. In addition, a specific sphere of human activity was associated with a certain mythological hero. For Democritus, such legends were subjective. Being an educated materialist, he easily debunked such misunderstandings, explaining them as ignorance, predilection for an easy explanation of complex issues. The deadly argument of the doctrine was the similarity of the celestials with ordinary people, from which the artificiality of the created deities follows.
But the "atheism" of the scientist is not so obvious. The philosopher did not have serious problems with the many-sided spiritual community, did not oppose the state ideology. It has to do with his relationship with the soul. Democritus believed in its existence, in his own way. As the thinker believed, the soul was a cluster of atoms, fusion with the physical body, and leaving it during a period of protracted illness, old age, or before death. The soul is immortal, as an energy clot endlessly wanders through the universe. In short, Democritus proposed the law of conservation of energy.
It was previously described that the ancient Greek sage showed interest in many areas of human activity, medicine was no exception.
The concept of ataraxia was burning for the philosopher. Ataraxia is defined as a mental state of a person characterized by absolute fearlessness against the background of an emotional upheaval. Democritus attributed this state of mind to the acquisition of wisdom and experience by a person. It can be achieved with the help of the desire for self-improvement, penetration into the mysteries of the universe. Philosophical ancient schools became interested in the ataraxic philosophical thought of the thinker (Epicurean, skeptical, Stoic schools).
But Democritus offers not only to study, to learn, to improve himself, but also to think. He compares the thought process with knowledge, where the former still dominates.
The philosopher's ataraxia reasonably explains the pattern of events. Teaches you how to use the ability to remain silent, which takes precedence over talkativeness. The above dogmas are correct.
Democritus (he was also called Democritus from Abder by his place of birth) is an ancient Greek philosopher, the first consistent materialist, one of the first representatives of atomism. His achievements in this area are so great that for the entire era of modernity, any fundamentally new conclusions have been added to them in a very small amount.
From his biography, we know only fragmentary information. Even ancient researchers could not come to a consensus on exactly when Democritus was born. It is believed that this happened around 470 BC. e. His homeland was Thrace, a region of Eastern Greece, the seaside city of Abdera.
The legend says that the father of Democritus received as a gift from the Persian king Xerxes for his hospitality and cordiality (his army passed through Thrace, and the father of the future philosopher allegedly fed the soldiers with dinner) some Chaldeans and magicians. Democritus, according to legend, was their student.
It is not known whether this was the end of his education, but the store of knowledge and experience increased significantly in the course of numerous trips and travels, which, in turn, became possible due to the receipt of a rich inheritance after the death of his father. It is known that he visited such countries as Persia, Egypt, Iran, India, Babylonia, Ethiopia, got acquainted with the culture and philosophical views of the peoples living there. For some time he lived in Athens, listened to the lectures of Socrates, it is likely that he met with Anaxagoras.
In the hometown of Democritus, embezzlement of parental inheritance was considered a crime and punished by the court. The case of the philosopher was also considered at the court session. Legend has it that as a defense speech, Democritus read several excerpts from the “Great Peace Building”, his work, after which the fellow citizens issued a verdict of not guilty, thereby recognizing that he had found a worthy use for his father's money.
Indeed, Democritus possessed such an encyclopedic, extensive and versatile knowledge that he deserves the title of the predecessor of the famous Aristotle. In his contemporary era, there were no sciences in which he would not be engaged: these are astronomy, ethics, mathematics, physics, medicine, technology, music theory, philology. As for philosophy, in this area his mentor was the atomist Leucippus, about whom there is practically no information in our time. Nevertheless, the emergence of such a universal philosophical doctrine as atomism is usually associated precisely with the theories of Democritus. It was a synthesis of cosmology, physics, epistemology, ethics and psychology - areas of knowledge that were dealt with by the oldest philosophical Greek schools.
From the point of view of the inhabitants, Democritus led a rather strange way of life, for example, he liked to meditate, moving away from the bustle of the cemetery. He was given the nickname "The Laughing Philosopher", in particular, for the manner of laughing in public for no apparent reason (the philosopher could not look without laughing at how sometimes petty and absurd human concerns were compared to the greatness of the world order). According to legend, the townspeople turned to Hippocrates to examine Democritus, who was moved by the mind, but the famous doctor recognized the philosopher as completely healthy and called him one of the smartest people he had to deal with. He died approximately in 380 BC. e.
Diogenes Laertes claimed that Democritus wrote about 70 works devoted not only to philosophy, but also to other sciences and arts. Most often there is a mention of the "Big World" and "Small World". Until our time, his legacy has come down in the form of 300 fragments. In the era of antiquity, Democritus gained fame not only for his philosophical views, but also for his ability to express thoughts in his writings beautifully, but at the same time short, simple and clear.
Democritus of Abdera - the famous ancient Greek philosopher, who is considered the founder of the theory of atomism, possessed encyclopedic knowledge. The pundit studied the exact and natural sciences and participated in the compilation of the first calendar.
Democritus was born in the city of Abderach, located in Thrace. The date of birth is considered to be 460-370 BC. The boy's family was famous for its wealth and righteous life. In addition to Democritus, the parents gave birth to two more sons - Herodotus and Damas. In Greece, the young man's hometown was considered a city of simpletons and ignoramuses, and the inhabitants were called outright fools. The smart little boy refutes the opinion of his compatriots about Abderakh.
Damasippus, the head of the family, left acres of land, three hundred heads of cattle, slaves and money as a legacy to the children. The man hoped that the offspring would increase his fortune. Democritus gave up his property, taking 100 talents. Relatives believed that he would buy goods or use funds for trading operations. But the young man went to wander, so from childhood he dreamed of comprehending the truth.
For 8 years of wandering he visited Persia, India, Egypt and Babylon. He lived in Athens for a year and a half, where he listened to lectures and talked with Anaxagoras. Gained knowledge from the Persian Chaldeans and magicians. The need forced the man to return to his hometown. Having spent his father's inheritance on traveling, he is forced to live at the expense of his brother Damas.
In Abderakh, he was imprisoned for embezzlement of property. At the trial, the young philosopher defended his rights on his own and accounted for his deeds to his fellow citizens. He explained to the audience that he had spent the money not on empty wanderings, but on learning the wisdom of other peoples, on studying foreign customs, customs, and science.
At the end of the exculpatory speech, Democritus read out excerpts from his own work, The Great World Construction, which explained the origin of the universe and the structure of things. The townspeople acquitted the sage and rewarded him with money. This point in the biography of the philosopher is confirmed by studies of the works of Diogenes Laertius and Athenagoras.
The life and scientific experiments of the famous Abderite did not leave indifferent fellow citizens who considered him crazy. Democritus loved to walk for hours in the cemetery, where he pondered the ideas of the creation of the world in peace and quiet. In a conversation, he could easily burst out laughing for no reason. The man explained this by the fact that everyday difficulties and nuances are nothing in comparison with the globality of the universe.
"These two executors of the law represent complete polarity to each other both in appearance and in techniques."
The ancient Greek scientist had no personal life. He did not approve of sexual life, considering it the predominance of pleasure over consciousness. At the moment of intercourse, a man is guided by animal instincts, which is not appropriate for a scientist. He considered women to be stupid and useless creatures, suitable only for procreation.
The role of the father did not inspire the philosopher. He believed that small children would interfere with mental and contemplative work. Democritus left no offspring. According to Tertullian, at the age of 90 he blinded himself so as not to desire a woman. This hypothesis was recognized as erroneous and it was proved that by these years the pundit was simply blind.
Hipparchus reports that the great philosopher died painlessly, without suffering from diseases, having lived to be 109 years old. Three days before his death, he asked that hot bread and rolls be brought into the room daily to enjoy the aroma. The burial took place at public expense, and at parting, the townspeople paid tribute to the great compatriot.
They say that Democritus spent a lot of money on these travels, inherited from him. However, the embezzlement of the inheritance in Abderah was prosecuted. At the trial, instead of his defense, Democritus read out excerpts from his work, "The Great World Construction", and was acquitted: fellow citizens decided that his father's money was well spent.
The lifestyle of Democritus, however, seemed incomprehensible to the Abderites: he constantly left the city, hiding in cemeteries, where, far from the bustle of the city, he indulged in reflections; sometimes Democritus burst into laughter for no apparent reason, human affairs seemed so ridiculous to him against the backdrop of the great world order (hence his nickname "The Laughing Philosopher"). Fellow citizens considered Democritus insane, and even invited the famous doctor Hippocrates to examine him. He really met with the philosopher, but decided that Democritus was absolutely healthy both physically and mentally, and in addition, he asserted that Democritus was one of the smartest people with whom he had to communicate. Among the students of Democritus, Bion from Abdera is known.
In his philosophical views, he spoke with an opposition point of view to the Eleatics regarding the conceivability of a multitude and the conceivability of movement, but he completely agreed with them that a truly existing being can neither arise nor disappear. The materialism of Democritus, which is characteristic of almost all scientists of that time, is contemplative and metaphysical.
The main achievement of the philosophy of Democritus is considered to be the development of the teachings of Leucippus about the “atom” - an indivisible particle of matter that has true being, that does not collapse and does not arise ( atomistic materialism). He described the world as a system of atoms in a void, rejecting the infinite divisibility of matter, postulating not only the infinity of the number of atoms in the Universe, but also the infinity of their forms ( ideas, είδος - "look, appearance", a materialistic category, as opposed to idealistic ideas Socrates). Atoms, according to this theory, move randomly in empty space (the Great Void, as Democritus said), collide and, due to the correspondence of shapes, sizes, positions and orders, either stick or fly apart. The resulting compounds hold together and thus produce complex bodies. Movement itself is a property naturally inherent in atoms. Bodies are combinations of atoms. The diversity of bodies is due both to the difference in the atoms that compose them, and to the difference in the order of assembly, just as different words are made up of the same letters. Atoms cannot touch, since everything that does not have emptiness inside it is indivisible, that is, a single atom. Therefore, there are always at least small gaps of emptiness between two atoms, so that even in ordinary bodies there is emptiness. It also follows from this that when atoms approach at very small distances, repulsive forces begin to act between them. At the same time, mutual attraction between atoms is also possible according to the principle “like attracts like”.
The various qualities of bodies are completely determined by the properties of atoms and their combinations and the interaction of atoms with our senses. According to Galen,
"[Only] in general opinion there is color, in opinion - sweet, in opinion - bitter, in reality [there are only] atoms and emptiness." So says Democritus, believing that all perceptible qualities arise from the combination of atoms [existing only] for us who perceive them, but by nature there is nothing white, black, yellow, red, bitter, or sweet. The fact is that “in the general opinion” [with him] means the same as “according to the generally accepted opinion” and “for us”, [but] not by the nature of things themselves; the nature of the things themselves he, in turn, designates [by the expression] "in reality", composing the term from the word "real", which means "true". The whole point of [this] teaching itself should be this. [Only] among people is something white, black, sweet, bitter, and everything else of that kind recognized, but truly everything is "what" and "nothing." And these are again his own expressions, namely, he called the atoms “what”, and the void - “nothing”.
The main methodological principle of the atomists was the principle of isonomy (literal translation from Greek: equality of all before the law), which is formulated as follows: if a particular phenomenon is possible and does not contradict the laws of nature, then it must be assumed that in unlimited time and in unlimited space it either has already taken place, or someday will come: in infinity there is no boundary between possibility and existence. This principle is also called the principle of lack of sufficient reason: there is no reason for any body or phenomenon to exist in this rather than in any other form. It follows, in particular, that if a phenomenon can in principle occur in various forms, then all these types exist in reality. Democritus made several important conclusions from the isonomy principle: 1) there are atoms of any shape and size (including the size of the whole world); 2) all directions and all points in the Great Void are equal; 3) atoms move in the Great Void in any direction with any speed. The last provision is very important for the theory of Democritus. In essence, it follows from it that the movement itself does not need to be explained, the reason needs to be sought only for changing the movement. Describing the views of the atomists, their opponent Aristotle writes:
... no one [of those who recognize the existence of emptiness, that is, atomists] will be able to say why [a body], set in motion, will stop somewhere, because why will it stop here rather than there? Therefore, it must either be at rest or move indefinitely, unless something stronger interferes.
In essence, this is a clear statement of the principle of inertia - the basis of all modern physics. Galileo, who is often credited with the discovery of inertia, was quite clearly aware that the roots of this principle go back to ancient atomism.
The Great Void is spatially infinite. In the initial chaos of atomic movements in the Great Void, a whirlwind spontaneously forms. The symmetry of the Great Void is broken inside the whirlwind, where the center and periphery appear. Heavy bodies formed in a vortex tend to accumulate near the center of the vortex. The difference between light and heavy is not qualitative, but quantitative, and this is already a significant progress. Democritus explains the separation of matter inside the vortex as follows: in their striving for the center of the vortex, heavier bodies displace lighter ones, and they remain closer to the periphery of the vortex. In the center of the world, the Earth is formed, consisting of the heaviest atoms. Something like a protective film is formed on the outer surface of the world, separating the cosmos from the surrounding Great Void. Since the structure of the world is determined by the aspiration of atoms to the center of the vortex, the world of Democritus has a spherically symmetrical structure.
Democritus is a supporter of the concept of a plurality of worlds. As Hippolytus describes the views of the atomists,
The worlds are infinite in number and differ from each other in size. In some of them there is neither sun nor moon, in others the sun and moon are larger than ours, in the third there are not one, but several of them. The distance between the worlds is not the same; besides, in one place there are more worlds, in another - less. Some worlds are growing, others have reached full bloom, others are already shrinking. In one place the worlds arise, in another they decline. They are destroyed by colliding with each other. Some of the worlds are devoid of animals, plants, and any kind of moisture.
The multiplicity of worlds follows from the principle of isonomy: if a process of some kind can take place, then in infinite space somewhere, sometime, it is bound to take place; what is happening in a given place at a given time must also be happening in other places at one time or another. Thus, if a vortex-like motion of atoms arose in a given place in space, which led to the formation of our world, then a similar process should occur in other places, leading to the formation of other worlds. The resulting worlds are not necessarily the same: there is no reason why there should not be worlds without a sun and moon at all, or with three suns and ten moons; only the earth is a necessary element of each world (probably simply by the definition of this concept: if there is no central earth, it is no longer a world, but just a clot of matter). Moreover, there are no grounds for the fact that somewhere in the boundless space exactly the same world as ours would not be formed. All worlds move in different directions, because all directions and all states of motion are equal. In this case, the worlds can collide, collapsing. Similarly, all moments of time are equal: if the formation of the world is taking place now, then somewhere it must take place both in the past and in the future; different worlds are currently at different stages of development. In the course of its movement, the world, the formation of which has not ended, may accidentally penetrate the boundaries of the fully formed world and be captured by it (this is how Democritus explained the origin of the heavenly bodies in our world).
Since the Earth is in the center of the world, then all directions from the center are equal, and it has no reason to move in any direction (Anaximander held the same opinion about the reason for the immobility of the Earth). But there is also evidence that, according to Democritus, the Earth initially moved in space, and only subsequently stopped.
However, he was not a supporter of the theory of a spherical Earth. Democritus cited the following argument: if the Earth were a ball, then the sun, setting and rising, would be crossed by the horizon along an arc of a circle, and not in a straight line, as it really is. Of course, this argument is untenable from a mathematical point of view: the angular diameters of the Sun and the horizon are very different, and this effect could be noticed only if they were almost the same (for this, obviously, one would have to move a very large distance from the earth).
According to Democritus, the order of the luminaries is as follows: the Moon, Venus, the Sun, other planets, stars (as the distance from the Earth increases). Moreover, the farther away from us the luminary, the slower (in relation to the stars) it moves. Following Empedocles and Anaxagoras, Democritus believed that centrifugal force prevented the fall of celestial bodies on Earth. Democritus came up with the brilliant idea that the Milky Way is a multitude of stars located at such a small distance from each other that their images merge into a single faint glow.
Democritus develops a common Hellenic concept measures, noting that the measure is the correspondence of a person's behavior to his natural capabilities and abilities. Through the prism of such measures pleasure appears already as an objective good, and not only as a subjective sensory perception.
He considered the basic principle of human existence to be in a state of benevolent, serene disposition of the spirit (euthymia), devoid of passions and extremes. This is not just a simple sensual pleasure, but a state of "peace, serenity and harmony."
However, elsewhere the same Sextus writes:
Democritus says that “certain idols (images) approach people, and some of them are beneficial, others are harmful. Therefore, he prayed that he would come across happy images. They are of enormous size, monstrous [in appearance] and distinguished by their extreme strength, but they are not immortal. They foretell the future for people with their appearance and the sounds they make. Based on these phenomena, the ancients came to the assumption that there is a god, while [in fact], apart from them, there is no other god who would have an immortal nature.
Rozhansky I. D. ANTIQUE SCIENCE (M.: Nauka, 1980)
Being the son of his time, Democritus did not deny the existence of the gods. The gods, like all other things, consist of atoms and therefore are not immortal, but they are very stable compounds of atoms, inaccessible to our senses. However, if desired, the gods make themselves felt in images that are most often perceived by us in a dream. These images can bring us harm or benefit, sometimes they talk to us and predict the future.
Democritus compiled one of the first ancient Greek calendars.
Democritus was the first to establish that the volume of a pyramid and a cone is equal, respectively, to one third of the volume of a prism and a cylinder under the same height and with the same base area.
About 70 different works of Democritus are mentioned in the writings of ancient authors, none of which has survived to this day. Studies of the philosophy of Democritus rely on quotations and criticisms of his ideas in the writings of later philosophers such as Aristotle, Sextus, Cicero, Plato, Epicurus, and others.
The most significant work of Democritus should be considered the "Great World Construction", a cosmological work that covered almost all areas of knowledge available at that time. In addition, based on the lists of Diogenes Laertius, Democritus is credited with the authorship of such works as “On the Spiritual Disposition of the Sage”, “On Virtue”, “On the Planets”, “On Feelings”, “On the Difference of Forms”, “On Tastes”, “On colors", "On the mind", "On logic", "Causes of celestial phenomena", "Causes of air phenomena", "Causes of terrestrial phenomena", "Causes of fire and fiery phenomena", "Causes of sounds", "Causes of seeds, plants and fruits", "Causes of living beings", "On the contact of the circle and the ball", "On geometry", "On irrational lines and bodies", "Numbers", "Projections", "Big Year", "Description of the sky", "Description earth”, “Description of the poles”, “Description of rays”, “On rhythms and harmony”, “On poetry”, “On the beauty of poetry”, “On singing”, “Medical science”, “On diet”, “On painting” , "Agriculture", "On the military system", etc.
There is a legend that Plato ordered to buy up and destroy all the works of Democritus, his philosophical antagonist. The reliability of this legend is not too high. In addition, it is known that in the I century. n. e. Thrasyllus published the works of Democritus and Plato, dividing them into tetralogy.
| Philosophers / Ancient Philosophers / Pre-Socratics | |
|---|---|
| Pre-philosophical tradition | |
| Milesian school | |
| Pythagoreans | |
| Eleatics | |
| Atomists | |
