Who is Democritus? The Materialism of Democritus

As you know, Ancient Greece became the parent of the current concepts of philosophy and some other sciences. It is from this country that the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers and scholars about being, various processes that occur in the world, including thought processes, come to us.

Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes, Diogenes, Socrates, Democritus, Leucippus, Epicurus and many others became the founders of the great science of philosophy. It was on their teachings that new, more advanced, or opposite ideas were based.

In this article, we will talk in more detail about who Democritus is. Such people as Aristotle and Socrates, most likely, are known even to children. In modern schools in history classes these people are necessarily mentioned. But the names Democritus, Epicurus, Leucippus are known in narrower circles among people who have chosen philosophy as the basis of their profession. The teachings of these philosophers are much more complex and deeper for understanding.

Who is Democritus?

Democritus (Latin Demokritos) is an ancient Greek philosopher. Born about 460 BC and lived until 360 BC. The main merit of Democritus is the atomistic doctrine, of which he became the founder.

No one knows the exact date of birth of this philosopher. Some scientists of those times claimed that he was born in 460 BC. E., Others - in 470 BC. E. In this case, it is impossible to say exactly who is right.

Of course, the biography of Democritus can not be fully described. There are many inaccurate facts. However, one can confidently talk about the origin of this philosopher from a rich family.

Lifestyle

Diogenes Laertius passed on the legend that this philosopher had learned from the magicians and Chaldeans who were the gift of the Persian king for his father. The legend said that the gift was given in gratitude for the fact that Xerxes' army was fed with dinner when passing through Thrace - the hometown of Democritus.

Democritus was very fond of traveling. Therefore, his rich inheritance was spent on this. During his life, Democritus visited at least 4 states - Egypt, Persia, India and Babylon.

There was a period in the life of the philosopher, when he lived in Athens and studied the works of Socrates. There are also facts that Democritus at that time met Anaxagoras.

"Laughing" philosopher

Many contemporaries did not understand who Democritus was. He often left his city for seclusion. To escape from the hustle and bustle, he visited the cemetery. Democritus's behavior was often strange: he could burst into laughter for no apparent reason, simply because human problems seemed funny to him. Due to this peculiarity of his behavior, he was called the "laughing philosopher".

Many considered the philosopher a little crazy. At that time, specially for the diagnosis was invited Hippocrates - the most famous doctor of those times, who also left its imprint on the present. The result of the meeting with the philosopher was evidence of that, Democritus is absolutely healthy both mentally and physically. Also the doctor noted the subtle mind of this philosopher.

The Works of Democritus

The name Democritus is associated with the emergence of one of the fundamental theories of philosophy - atomism. This theory unites such sciences as physics, cosmology, epistemology, psychology and ethics. It is generally accepted that this theory has also united the problems of the three main ancient Greek philosophical schools: the Pythagorean, the Eleatic and the Miletus.

Scientists claim that Democritus at one time became the author of more than 70 different treatises. The names of these works are given in the works of Diogenes Laertius - he wrote more than other scientists about who Democritus is. As a rule, the treatises were tetralogies in various sciences - mathematics, physics, ethics, literature, language, applied sciences and even medicine.

Separately it is worth noting that Democritus was considered the author of the "Chaldean Book" and "On the Holy Inscriptions in Babylon". This is due to the legend that was created about the training and travel of the philosopher.

The Materialism of Democritus

This philosopher is the most vivid representative of atomistic materialism. Democritus argued that the entire surrounding world according to sensory perception, is volatile, diverse. Everything consists of matter and emptiness. It is then that the term "atom" is first introduced as the smallest indivisible component of all that exists. Teaching Democritus says that the whole world consists of atoms that move in the void.

This philosopher had his own theory of the origin of the Earth in the center of the vortex, which was formed from collisions of atoms, different in weight, size and shape. Since the atom is a material, indivisible and eternal quantity, there are a large number of atoms, different in weight and shape. By themselves, they are deprived of content, and together form changeable things due to constant movement in the void.

Postulates of atomism Democritus also applied to the doctrine of life and soul. According to his works, every living being has a soul, but each to a different degree. Life and death are the result of the union or decomposition of atoms. Democritus said that the soul is a union of special "fiery" atoms, which, in essence, is also temporary. Proceeding from these arguments, the theory of the immortality of the soul was rejected by them.