Democritus, whose atomism and biography we will consider, is a famous Greek philosopher of antiquity. The years of his life - 460-371 BC. e. It was he who first realized that the world has no end and that it is a cluster of atoms - the smallest particles that make up every grain of sand on our planet and every star in the sky.
The birthplace of Democritus, the personal qualities of the philosopher
Democritus was born in Thrace, in the ancient Greek city of Abdera. This place in Greece was considered not just a remote province, but even a city of fools. However, the common noun "abderit", in translation meaning "fool", "simpleton", "simpleton", became the proper name of one of the outstanding minds of antiquity, Democritus. From numerous legends and testimonies, we learn that Abderit was a "laughing philosopher".
It seemed to him that everything that was done seriously was not serious. The surviving stories about him testify that Democritus was characterized bydeep worldly wisdom, extensive knowledge, observation.
Introduction to the achievements of philosophers
Damasippus, his father, was one of the richest citizens. Therefore, Democritus received a good education for his time. The teachers of the future philosopher were Persian sages who lived in Abdera when Xerxes, the Persian king, was there. However, the real teacher of Democritus is Leucippus, the head of the local philosophical school. It was thanks to him that Democritus got acquainted with the works of the Greek philosophers. His atomism is based on a careful study of the achievements of his predecessors. His education was not limited to the study of the works of Greek philosophers. Democritus, whose atomism will be discussed below, wanted to get acquainted with the achievements of world thought, so he set off on a journey.
The first journey of Democritus
After a while, his father died. He left a significant inheritance to his son, and Democritus decided to go on a journey. The philosopher went to Babylon, and then to Egypt. Everywhere he met with thinkers, and also got acquainted with the Babylonian magicians and Egyptian priests. From this it follows that his worldview was formed under the influence of many cultures of both the ancient and the new world. Democritus took some elements from each of them and created his own philosophical system.
Teaching, essential writings
Returning to Abdera, he began teaching philosophy, as well as creating his own compositions. Diogenes Laertes later cataloged the writings of Democritus. It includes the titles of more than 70 works. Among them, the main place is occupied by the following works: "On Logic, or Merilo", "Small Diacosmos", "Great Diacosmos". The breadth of interests of this philosopher is simply amazing. There was no area of expertise that he would leave unattended.
Philosopher Democritus, as you know, enjoyed great fame in his city during his lifetime. In gratitude for his merits, the inhabitants of Abdera erected a bronze statue of him. In addition, it was said that he was one of the most famous orators of his time. It is known that Democritus was engaged in philology, created a manual on eloquence.
Second journey
After a while he decided to make another trip, this time to Athens. At that time, the most famous philosophers of Greece worked here. Diogenes said that Democritus met with Socrates and Anaxagoras. However, they did not share his views. After all, the existence of the gods was categorically denied by Democritus. His atomism is completely inconsistent with deities in the conventional sense.
Great Diacosmos
Returning to his native city, the philosopher created the work "The Great Diacosmos". This work outlines the concept of the structure of the world. Democritus believed that all objects are made up of atoms, the smallest particles. While there were few of them, they moved freely. Gradually, the atoms began to attract each other, as birds gather in flocks - cranes with cranes, doves with doves. This is how the Earth appeared.
AtomismDemocritus: Key Points
Two types of properties of phenomena were distinguished by Democritus. Some - "things in themselves" - the image, size, hardness, movement, mass. Other properties of phenomena are associated with various human senses - smell, sound, brightness, color. According to the philosopher, the movements of atoms can explain everything that happens in our world. Democritus' atomism is based on this statement. Let's briefly talk about the main ideas of the philosopher, which follow from this thought.
Democritus believed that atoms are in constant motion, constantly either separating or connecting them. The process of separation and connection leads to the disappearance and appearance of individual objects. As a result of their interaction, all the diversity of the existing is obtained. The motionless earth is the center of the universe. In shape, it is a flat cylinder, which is surrounded by air. Various celestial bodies move in this air. The philosopher considered these bodies to be masses of matter that are in a hot state and are carried upwards by a rapid circular motion. They are made of matter similar to the earth. Atoms of fire permeate all parts of the universe. They are smooth, round and very small. These atoms play an important role - they enliven the universe. There are especially many of them in a person.
Of course, we have characterized the atomism of Democritus briefly. We can talk about him for a long time, but we need to talk about other achievements of this philosopher.
Man in the writings of Democritus
It should be noted that it is the person who is the main subject of researchancient Greek philosopher. He argued that the structure of our body is very expedient. The receptacle of thinking is the brain, the receptacle of passions is the heart. However, the body, according to Democritus, is only a "vessel of the soul." The philosopher considered the most important duty of every person to take care of his spiritual development.
Democritus argued that the changing world of phenomena is a ghostly world. The study of its phenomena cannot lead people to true knowledge. Democritus, recognizing the illusory world of the senses, believed, like Heraclitus, that a person should maintain peace of mind, whatever the circumstances. He who can distinguish the essential from the accidental, the genuine from the illusory, seeks happiness not in sensual pleasures, but above all in giving the right course to his spiritual life.
According to Democritus, the purpose of our existence is happiness. However, it does not consist in pleasures and external blessings, but in the unchanging peace of mind, in contentment. This is achieved by purity of deeds and thoughts, abstinence, mental education. According to Democritus, the happiness of each of us depends on how he behaves. The gods give us only good things, only by their own recklessness does man turn it into evil. The application of these thoughts to matters of private and public life forms the basis of the moral philosophy of Democritus.
Divine powers in the teachings of Democritus
Naturally, the gods had no place in the world, as this thinker imagined it to be. The atomism of Deomcritus rejects the possibility of theirexistence. The philosopher believed that people themselves invented them, that they are the embodiments of human properties and natural phenomena. Zeus, for example, was identified by Democritus with the Sun, and Athena, as he believed, was the personification of reason.
According to his teachings, divine forces are the forces of the human mind and nature. And the deities created by religion, or ghosts, personifying people's ideas about the forces of nature, or spirits ("demons"), are mortal creatures.
Math work
This philosopher, according to ancient sources, wrote a lot of mathematical works. Unfortunately, only a few fragments have survived to our time. They contain formulas for the volume of a number of figures, for example, pyramids and cones, derived by him.
Social issues de alt with by Democritus
Democritus also thought a lot about social problems. Both the philosophy of atomism, summarized above, and its other ideas were later adopted by many thinkers. For example, the best form of state organization, according to this philosopher, is the state-polis. Democritus saw the goal of human life in achieving euthymia - a special state in which people do not experience passions and are not afraid of anything.
Diversified interests of Democritus
The consistency of conclusions, the insight of the mind, the vastness of knowledge, Democritus surpassed almost all philosophers, both former and his contemporaries. His work was very versatile. He wrote treatises on natural science,mathematics, aesthetics, science, technical arts, grammar.
Influencing other thinkers
Democritus and the philosophy of atomism in particular strongly influenced the development of natural science. We have only vague information about this influence, since many of his works perished. However, it can be considered that, as a naturalist, Democritus was the greatest of Aristotle's predecessors. The latter owed him a lot and spoke of his work with deep respect.
As we have already said, many of the thinker's writings were subsequently lost, we know about them only from the writings of other philosophers who shared or disputed his views. It is known that the ancient atomism of Democritus and the views of this philosopher strongly influenced Titus Lucretius Kara. In addition, Leibniz and Galileo Galilei, who are considered the founders of the new concept of the earth's structure, relied on his works. Moreover, Niels Bohr, the founder of atomic physics, once remarked that the structure of the atom proposed by him follows entirely from the works of the ancient philosopher. Democritus' theory of atomism thus far outlived its creator.
