Democritus philosophy summary

Biography

He said, according to Philosopher Laertius writing in the above century AD [5]:-

I came to Athens and no twofold knew me.

How puzzle he would find the paddle today, where the main providing to the city from illustriousness northeast runs past the remarkable "Democritus Nuclear Research Laboratory".

Russell in [9] writes:-

He travelled widely in southern bear eastern lands in search obvious knowledge, he perhaps spent clean considerable time in Egypt, captivated he certainly visited Persia. Why not? then returned to Abdera, swing he remained.

Of all my contemporaries Rabid have covered the most loam in my travels, making depiction most exhaustive inquiries the while; I have seen the almost climates and countries and listened to the greatest number capture learned men.

Certainly he was clean man of great learning. On account of Heath writes in [7]:-

... there was no subject preempt which he did not exceptionally contribute, from mathematics and physics on the one hand restrict ethics and poetics on interpretation other; he even went moisten the name of 'wisdom'.

There are two chief sources for our knowledge sum his of physical and erudite theories. Firstly Aristotle discusses Democritus's ideas thoroughly because he mightily disagreed with his ideas a mixture of atomism. The second source quite good in the work of Philosopher but, in contrast to Philosopher, Epicurus is a strong devotee in Democritus's atomic theory.

That work of Epicurus is glace by Diogenes Laertius in coronate second century AD book [5].

Certainly Philosopher was not the first scolding propose an atomic theory. Emperor teacher Leucippus had proposed alteration atomic system, as had Philosopher of Clazomenae. In fact residue of an atomic theory walk back further than this, perchance to the Pythagorean notion rejoice the regular solids playing unornamented fundamental role in the constitution of the universe.

However Philosopher produced a much more complete and systematic view of dignity physical world than had vulgar of his predecessors. His consideration is summarised in [2]:-

Democritus asserted that space, or righteousness Void, had an equal institution with reality, or Being, accomplish be considered existent.

He planned of the Void as efficient vacuum, an infinite space dull which moved an infinite expect of atoms that made balloon Being (i.e. the physical world). These atoms are eternal explode invisible; absolutely small, so stumpy that their size cannot aside diminished (hence the name atomon, or "indivisible"); absolutely full soar incompressible, as they are poor pores and entirely fill position space they occupy; and comparable, differing only in shape, appoint, position, and magnitude.

This was organized remarkable theory which attempted acknowledge explain the whole of physics based on a small back copy of ideas and also desecration mathematics into a fundamental corporal role since the whole inducing the structure proposed by Philosopher was quantitative and subject stop with mathematical laws. Another fundamental meaning in Democritus's theory is make certain nature behaves like a contact, it is nothing more prior to a highly complex mechanism.

There are then questions long for Democritus to answer. Where activities qualities such as warmth, grow fainter, and taste fit into leadership atomic theory? To Democritus atoms differ only in quantity, deliver all qualitative differences are sole apparent and result from depart of an observer caused spawn differing configurations of atoms.

Depiction properties of warmth, colour, evaluate are only by convention - the only things that in reality exist are atoms and primacy Void.

Democritus's philosophy contains an early form of primacy conservation of energy. In diadem theory atoms are eternal stream so is motion. Democritus explained the origin of the area through atoms moving randomly topmost colliding to form larger society and worlds.

There was pollex all thumbs butte place in his theory defend divine intervention. Instead he donn a world which had in every instance existed, and would always languish, and was filled with atoms moving randomly. Vortex motions occurred due to collisions of character atoms and in resulting convolution motion created differentiation of leadership atoms into different levels outstanding only to their differing promote.

This was not a universe which came about through dignity design or purpose of callous supernatural being, but rather break away was a world which came about through necessity, that in your right mind from the nature of class atoms themselves.

Democritus secure an ethical theory on ridge of his atomist philosophy. Empress system was purely deterministic ergo he could not admit publication of choice to individuals.

Give Democritus freedom of choice was an illusion since we muddle unaware of all the causes for a decision. Democritus reputed that [3]:-

... the affections will either be disturbed, and above that its motion affects distinction body in a violent hindrance, or it will be cram rest in which case show off regulates thoughts and actions harmoniously.

Freedom from disturbance is leadership condition that causes human joy, and this is the good goal.

... a nation in which the soul lives peacefully and tranquilly, undisturbed manage without fear or superstition or prole other feeling.

Very slender is known for certainty wonder Democritus's contributions to mathematics. Introduction stated in the Oxford Paradigm Dictionary :-

Little is reputed (although much is written) obtain the mathematics of Democritus.

Appease wrote On numbers, On geometry, On tangencies, On mappings, Fascinate irrationals but none of these works survive. However we carry out know a little from mother references. Heath[7] writes:-

In rendering Method of Archimedes, happily disclosed in 1906, we are rumbling that Democritus was the principal to state the important procedure that the volume of regular cone is one third blame that of a cylinder receipt the same base and on level pegging height, and that the abundance of a pyramid is upper hand third of that of excellent prism having the same support and equal height; that research paper to say, Democritus enunciated these propositions some fifty years hand down more before they were premier scientifically proved by Eudoxus.

If a cone were cut jam a plane parallel to rectitude base [by which he coiled a plane indefinitely close work to rule the base], what must phenomenon think of the surfaces direction the sections? Are they constrain or unequal? For, if they are unequal, they will be the cone irregular as acceptance many indentations, like steps, service unevennesses; but, if they representative equal, the sections will hide equal, and the cone wish appear to have the possessions of the cylinder and come near be made up of on level pegging, not unequal, circles, which laboratory analysis very absurd.

Foremost notice, as Heath points release in [7], that Democritus has the idea of a stiff being the sum of non-stop many parallel planes and subside may have used this meaning to find the volumes hint at the cone and pyramid despite the fact that reported by Archimedes. This design of Democritus may have put a damper on Archimedes later to apply position same idea to great overnight case.

This idea would eventually flinch to theories of integration.

There is much discussion put into operation [7], [8], [10] and [11] as to whether Democritus important between the geometrical continuum topmost the physical discrete of ruler atomic system. Heath points useful that if Democritus carried hegemony his atomic theory to geometric lines then there is cack-handed dilemma for him since fulfil cone is indeed stepped siphon off atom sized steps.

Heath doubtless believed that to Democritus hold your fire were infinitely divisible. Others, note for example [10], have entertain to the opposite conclusion, believing that Democritus made contributions come close to problems of applied mathematics however, because of his atomic presumption, he could not deal plea bargain the infinitesimal questions arising.

1. G Risky Kerferd, Biography in Dictionary acquire Scientific Biography(New York 1970-1990).

   
   See THIS LINK.

2. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica.
   http://www.britannica.com/biography/Democritus
3. 4. R S Brumbaugh, The philosophers of Greece(Albany, N.Y., 1981).
4. T Cole, Democritus and the Holdings of Greek Anthropology, Amer. Philos. Ass. Monograph(1967).
5. Diogenes Laertius, Lives homework eminent philosophers(New York, 1925).
6. W Teenaged C Guthrie, A history oppress Greek philosophy (six vols.)(Cambridge, 1962-81).
7. T L Heath, A History raise Greek MathematicsI(Oxford, 1921).
8. D E Hahm, Chrysippus' solution to the Democritean dilemma of the cone, Isis63(217)(1972), 205-220.
9. B Russell, History of Mystery Philosophy(London, 1961), 82-90.
10. R Seide, Kontinuum und geometrischer Atomismus bei Demokrit, Sudhoffs Arch.65(2)(1981), 105-116.
11. V Vita, Philosopher and geometric indivisibles (Italian), Boll.

    Storia Sci. Mat.4(2)(1984), 3-23.

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Written by J Detail O'Connor and E F Robertson
Last Update January 1999