Democritus in a sentence

Even though many of his teachings were heavily influenced by earlier thinkers, especially by Democritus, he differed in a significant way with Democritus on determinism.

To Democritus' differentiating criteria, Epicurus adds "weight", but maintains Democritus' view that atoms are necessarily indivisible and hence possess no demonstrable internal space.

According to Aristotle's Meteorology (II, 3), Democritus also shared this opinion.

Aristotle, Metaphysics iv.1009 b 7. And: 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.

As the philosophical heir of Democritus, Epicurus's word has some weight, and indeed a controversy over this matter raged in German scholarship for many years at the close of the 19th century.

As well as: Democritus used to say that 'he prefers to discover a causality rather than become a king of Persia'.

Atomist school The first explicitly materialistic system was formed by Leucippus (5th century BCE) and his pupil Democritus of Abdera (460-370 BCE) from Thrace.

Democritus approved of extravagance on occasion, as he held that feasts and celebrations were necessary for joy and relaxation.

Democritus believed that happiness was a property of the soul.

Democritus promptly took him into his own household and taught him philosophy.

Democritus realized that Protagoras had tied the load together with such perfect geometric accuracy that he must be a mathematical prodigy.

Generally, these senses match rather well the current senses in which the English word nature is used, as confirmed by Guthrie, W.K.C. Presocratic Tradition from Parmenides to Democritus (volume 2 of his History of Greek Philosophy), Cambridge UP, 1965.

His theory differs from the earlier atomism of Democritus because he admits that atoms do not always follow straight lines but their direction of motion may occasionally exhibit a " swerve " (Greek: παρέγκλισις parenklisis; Latin: clinamen ).

In his tale "The Doubter" (circa 150 AD), he relates how Democritus "the learned man from Abdera in Thrace " lived in a tomb outside the city gates to prove that cemeteries were not haunted by the spirits of the departed.

Leucippus was indeed a shadowy figure, as his dates are not recorded and he is often mentioned in conjunction with his more well-known pupil Democritus.

Like Democritus, he was an atomist, believing that the fundamental constituents of the world were indivisible little bits of matter ( atoms ; Greek: ἄτομος atomos, "indivisible") flying through empty space (Greek: κενόν kenon).

Mathematics Right circular and oblique circular cones Democritus was also a pioneer of mathematics and geometry in particular.

Most sources say that Democritus followed in the tradition of Leucippus and that they carried on the scientific rationalist philosophy associated with Miletus.

Note that Democritus was a resident of Abdera.

Otherwise he conceives of atoms as does Democritus – in that they have position, number, and shape.