Ancient atomism: concept and main representatives

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

In ancient philosophy there is a time when it reached its peak in the development of materialism. It is difficult to say about the specific period when this happened, since thinkers from different eras of Antiquity participated in the development of the doctrine itself. Among the well-known are Leucippus, Democritus, Epicurus. The article will consider in more detail what kind of teaching it is and what its essence is.

Origins

Most historians believe that the author of the atomistic concept is Leucippus. It was he who formulated the basic provisions of this philosophical doctrine.

Subsequently, it acquired a name - ancient atomism, which characterizes its essence: absolute emptiness and the smallest atoms moving in it. As you know, the word is of Greek origin: atomos means "indivisible".

The first philosophical system with an emphasis on materialism was created by Democritus, based on the ideas of Leucippus. She was quite consistent, so it is logical that the result was an antiqueatomism as the pinnacle of ancient materialism.

Democritus from Abder became the author of about seventy essays that were written on mathematical and natural science topics. In addition, the philosopher wrote a lot about morality. The ancient thinker had encyclopedic knowledge. This is evidenced by his treatises: "Medical Science", "Military Affairs", "On Geometry", "On Nature", "On Planets", "On Poetry", "On Human Nature".

Unfortunately, not a single work of the philosopher has come down to us in full, but only separate fragments. However, relying on the surviving works, scientists managed to recreate the main points of the philosophical concept of Democritus.

Essence

The basis of the world is an empty space with indivisible atoms rotating in it. This is the main idea proclaimed by ancient atomism and its founder Democritus. The philosopher believed that atoms are immutable in themselves, but are constantly in a state of motion. Atoms are different in shape, size and position in space. There are infinitely many of them.

The ancient atomism explains the variety of atoms and their properties by the fact that natural things and phenomena are also diverse and multi-qualitative. The separation of atoms leads to the fact that material bodies are destroyed and perish, and if the atoms are connected, then a picture of the emergence of a new phenomenon is observed.

As for the human soul, it also consists of certain particles. They are called so - "atoms of the soul." Everything in the surrounding world is filled with these particles: earth, air, stones and everything else. Democritus professed the position of hylozoism. He believed thatnature is endowed with spirituality.

What did the philosopher come to?

How did this ultimately affect the positions professed by ancient atomism? Democritus, based on his position of hylozoism, following consistently materialistic concepts, was able to approach the solution of the question of the basis of human life - the soul. In this light, he interprets breathing, which is necessary for the provision of life, as an exchange of soul atoms between a living being and the environment. Therefore, death is the cessation of breathing. It is a natural process in which all the atoms of the soul, leaving the body, disperse into the air.

Democritus as the founder of ancient atomism, consistently following materialism, came to atheistic conclusions. This means that there is no God, and the soul is mortal. One of the most famous idealists of antiquity, Plato, called for the burning of the works of Democritus, calling him an atheist.

In general, atomism as a philosophical movement manifested itself in the tendency of ancient thought to unify the foundations of being. It is believed that the founder of ancient atomism is Leucippus (5th century BC), who put forward his hypothesis. However, this theme was especially developed by Democritus and his followers.

Reality and objectivity

Democritus was at the origins of determinism. This direction got its name from the Latin word determine, which translates as “I determine”. Determinism tells us about the existence of an objective pattern throughout the world. It is caused by causal relationships that are universal.

The philosopher claimedthat there are no unreasonable phenomena. He said that everything in the world has a reason. Thus, the identification of causality and regularity took place, as well as the denial of the presence of chance in the world. This doctrine assumed that people call some phenomena accidental. This happens because of ignorance of the reason.

Gradually, denying accidents and absolutizing patterns, Democritus came to the conclusion that human freedom is impossible. In other words, man as a being, which consists of atoms, is also subject to universal necessity along with all natural phenomena. Soul atoms are represented as thin, smooth, round and fiery particles that have greater mobility than the rest.

Epicuriism

The ideas of atomists are naive and are explained by the underdevelopment of their views. However, this teaching had a strong influence on the further development of natural science and the materialistic theory of knowledge.

Another founder of ancient atomism is Epicurus (341-270 BC). He founded a school called the "Garden of Epicurus". It is believed that this thinker created about 300 works. Of these, individual fragments, letters and a book of sayings called "Main Thoughts" have also survived to our times.

Describing atoms, Epicurus introduces a new concept - weight. He says that it is this property that determines their movement after the first push. In other words, atoms, being under the influence of their gravity, begin to fall down, passing through infinite space. If we return to the theory of Leucippus andDemocritus, they defined the movement of atoms as uniform in all directions.

Conclusions of Epicurus and ancient atomism

In short, the follower of Democritus recognized the atomistic theory of the plurality of worlds, but actually abandoned the idea of gods, who are the founders of the universe. According to the philosopher, they live in the space between the worlds, being in eternal bliss, and in no way affect the fate of people. As a result, Epicurus was accused of atheism for such conclusions. And when Christianity became the main religion in Europe, his works were banned for a very long time.

Epicurus also, like previous atomists, rejected the teachings of Plato, Aristotle. He considered the soul to be material. At the same time, the mind is an important part of the soul. It is located in the heart.

Feelings

Adhering to the main idea professed by the atomism of ancient philosophers: the atom is the material principle of everything that exists, Epicurus devoted a lot of time to the problem of knowledge. He considered sensations to be the main source of knowledge. Only with their help a person receives any information related to the outside world. The mind, accordingly, also develops solely on the basis of sensations. Epicurus brought the dependence of reason on sensations to absolutism. He argued that various dreams, as well as visions of madmen, are the result of any sensations, which means they are true.

Enjoyment

Nevertheless, the main thing in the philosophy of Epicurus was ethical teaching. Heemphasized the subordination of physics to the knowledge of ethics, saying that if you do not know the fear of death and do not worry about celestial phenomena and do not look for the boundaries of suffering and pleasure, then there will be no point in the science of nature.

Epicurus, professing atomism in ancient philosophy and asserting the material principle in the essence of man and his personality, created an interesting doctrine of pleasure, placing it at the head of the meaning of life. He believed that pleasure is the satisfaction of natural needs. It leads first to the achievement of ataraxia (peace of mind), and then to the state of eudaimonia (happiness). Real pleasure is the absence of bodily pain and anxiety. Fear prevents a person from acquiring complete happiness. They rule over him. Therefore, fears must be overcome.

The philosopher said that when we mean pleasure, it does not mean to point to laziness and gluttony. This does not mean continually celebrating with the yearning of young virgins and an abundance of tables. This speaks of a sober discussion of the search for the last reasons for choosing or refusing to expose the falsehood from which all mental anxieties originate. Epicurus insisted that a person needs to satisfy the natural necessary needs, which are directly related to the preservation of his life.

Important and unimportant in people's lives

According to Epicurus, a person who has comprehended the truth will be able to separate necessary needs from excesses. Moreover, he refuses the excess voluntarily. In principle, the philosophical views of Epicurus can be considered ascetic.

To fundamentally unnatural needs, the philosopher attributed politics and social activities. His teaching was characterized by the ex altation of the private over the public. The main words of the Epicurus Garden school are "Live unnoticed!".

Later, Titus Lucretius Carus chooses ancient atomism, whose representatives were Leucippus, Democritus and Epicurus. Among them, it is Epicurus who he gives the greatest preference to. Lucretius was born already in the first century BC. He expressed his adherence to the ideas of Epicurus in his message "On the Nature of Things".

Philosophical difficulties of atomism

Among the problem areas in this teaching are the individual and general properties of things, as well as the concept of things and thoughts. If no thing arises without a cause, and if there is a reason for its occurrence, then how is the origin of similar things explained? How is it possible to explain the existence of common properties if things are composed of different atoms and exist independently of each other? This must either be recognized as a coincidence, or atomism should be abandoned.

Atomism is the logical conclusion of reflections based on the elements. Democritus said that all we know about the world is man. So, it is he who is a prerequisite for the knowledge of the world. In addition, the world is known in the way that a person who is arranged in a certain way can do it. He perceives the environment, bringing something from himself. A special mechanism operates in his mind, which is given to him not from the world, but by nature.at birth. This mechanism is endowed with the ability to perceive the world.

If a person could go through incarnation in different cultures, then the images of the world would be all different.