Very curious biography of Democritus. The summary of his works is no less interesting. If you have not yet met this thinker, we suggest you do it. Democritus is an ancient Greek philosopher, whose years of life are from about 460 to 360 BC. e. He is known for being the founder of atomistic teaching. According to Democritus, in the world there are only emptiness and atoms.
Atomism of Democritus
Atoms are material indivisible elements ("figures", geometric bodies), impenetrable, indestructible, eternal. They differ in size, position in the void, form. Atoms move in different directions. Thanks to these movements, countless worlds and individual bodies are formed. Atoms are invisible to humans, but they affect our senses, thereby causing sensations. But we will not dwell on this in detail, since ahead is a biography of Democritus. About physics, you can read it separately; if you are interested in it, finding information today will not be difficult. We offer to get acquainted now with the philosopher himself.
When was Democritus born?
We assume that an interesting biography of Democritus begins in 460 BC. e. Although back in ancient times, the date of birth of this philosopher was a contentious issue. According to Apollodorus, he was born in 460 or 457 BC. e. However, Thrasill, who is the publisher of the works of this philosopher, expressed a different opinion. He believed that Democritus was born in 470 BC. e. This question is still open.
Training and travel
Many of the dark spots are left by the biography of Democritus, a summary of the works of which is still of interest today (what a pity that the originals have not been preserved!) This philosopher came from a wealthy family. According to legend, transmitted by Diogenes Laertius, he studied under the Chaldeans and magicians donated by Xerxes, the Persian king, to his father. Xerxes allegedly made such a gift to him for treating the Persian army passing through Thrace with lunch. Democritus spent the rich inheritance left after the death of his father on travel. He traveled to Babylon and Persia, Egypt and India. For some time, the philosopher also lived in Athens, where he listened to Socrates incognito. It is possible that Democritus also met with Anaxagoras. His biography is filled with many assumptions, but do not forget how long this philosopher lived . It is very difficult to recreate the life path of many of his contemporaries.
Democritus Behavior
Many interesting details are filled with the biography of Democritus. The most interesting, perhaps, is related to his lifestyle. The behavior of this philosopher seemed incomprehensible to many of his contemporaries. Democritus often left the city. In order to escape from the bustle of the city, he came to the cemetery. Here the philosopher indulged in thought. Often Democritus burst into laughter for no apparent reason: all human affairs seemed to him amusing against the background of the world order. Because of this feature, this thinker has even received the nickname "laughing philosopher." Many fellow citizens considered him insane. They even invited Hippocrates, the famous doctor, to examine him. He actually met with the philosopher, but decided that he was absolutely healthy both mentally and physically. Moreover, he affirmed that one of the smartest people with whom he had occasion to communicate was Democritus.
His biography is supposedly interrupted in 370 BC. e. when this thinker died. Thus, he lived for about a hundred years.
Synthesis of three schools
It is believed that the atomicist Leucippus had the greatest influence on this philosopher. Nevertheless, the emergence of atomism as a universal doctrine in philosophy, including ethics, psychology, epistemology, cosmology and physics, is associated precisely with Democritus. His teaching is a synthesis of the problems of the three schools of Greece: Pythagorean, Elean and Miletus. The philosophy of other countries visited by Democritus also left its imprint. His biography, as you remember, is associated with many travels.
Works of Democritus
It is believed that Democritus is the author of more than 70 different works. The title of the work is given by Diogenes of Laertes. The thinker is credited with authorship of works on physics, ethics, literature and language, mathematics, as well as applied sciences, including medicine. Moreover, Democritus was even considered the creator of the Chaldean Book and On the Sacred Inscriptions in Babylon (as part of the Chaldean myth associated with the travels and education of this philosopher).
The beauty of the syllable of works
Democritus in antiquity gained fame not only due to the depth of its teachings, but also because of the beauty of the syllable of works. Many thinkers have noted this, including Cicero, Timon of Fliunt, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. Democritus’s style attributes were: alliterations, rhythmic organization of phrases, brevity, neologisms, assonances, widespread use of rhetorical antitheses: “emptiness” and “atoms”, “microcosm-man” and “macrocosm-Universe”, etc.
We already spoke about atoms and emptiness at the beginning of the article. What else can you learn about such a philosopher as Democritus? His biography was also noted in his work on ethics, which is a continuation of the atomic physics of this thinker.
Ethics of Democritus
Just like an atom, man is a self-sufficient being. People are all the happier the more they are closed on themselves. To express his own understanding of happiness, Democritus coined several terms at once: "well-being", "complacency", "equanimity", "fearlessness", and also used the traditional terms - "measuredness" and "harmony". Eutumia is the central concept of ethics of this thinker. Even a separate book of Democritus is dedicated to her. The doctrine of eutumia - complacency - is associated with criticism by this thinker of beliefs in fate and traditional religion. The meaning of this term is primarily associated with the concept of measure. That is, a person should limit himself in bodily pleasures. Democritus believed that eutumia arises as a result of a measured life and moderation in pleasures. The sage rejoices in what he has, not envious of the glory and wealth of other people. He strives for lawful and fair deeds.
Note that the main part of the fragments of Democritus, which has survived to this day, refers specifically to ethics. However, today it is difficult to judge the degree of accuracy with which utterances convey his words.
Cosmogonic representations
They were based on the concept of the existence of many worlds in the universe. For him, time has no beginning, because it means a change of being that takes place forever. Democritus likened the human body to the cosmos and called it the microcosm. It is known that the thinker recognized the existence of gods, but in a very unusual form. For him, they are compounds of fiery atoms. Immortality of the gods Democritus denied.
What is a soul according to Democritus?
The philosopher imagined the soul in the form of an atom. It was this atom, as he believed, that explains the various features of mental life. The main one is movement. The soul producing the movement itself must be mobile. Therefore, it must be represented in the form of fiery round atoms. Thinking is also movement. And when we breathe, together with the air we get new fiery atoms, replacing the spent atoms of our soul. That is why the cessation of this process leads to death. The soul, believed Democritus, is the most essential in man. He advised taking care of her first of all, and not of the body. The philosopher believed that all objects are animated. The soul that fills the whole world is a deity. However, it obeys mechanical laws and does not differ qualitatively from material existence.
Aesthetics of Democritus
In it, the ancient Greek thinker, apparently, was the first to outline the line between applied arts requiring only skills and artistic creation, which is impossible without inspiration. In addition, in ethics, Democritus developed the doctrine of immunity to affects (ataraxia).
Now you can talk about who Democritus is. A brief biography and its discoveries can interest almost any person, so we recommend that you do this. Surely many of your friends, relatives and acquaintances do not know what you know. The biography of Democritus, facts from scientific activity and interesting information about him - all this can be discussed for a very long time.