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Democritus

Born around either 460 or 490 BC (there are conflicting reports), Democritus was a pre-Socratic, ancient Greek philosopher. Most of what we know about Democritus is by way of references in other works that have been preserved (most notably, Aristotle’s). It is reported that he lived for more than an astounding one hundred years. Democritus pioneered many notable theories and activities in that time span though he is most widely known for his development of an atomistic ontology. His atomistic metaphysic is one of the first sophisticated articulations of materialism; a view that is widely accepted in today’s Academy. Though he is known as a contemplative thinker, Democritus was fondly referred to as “the laughing philosopher”, given his affable personality and tendency to remain cheerful even in the midst of publicly critiquing what he considered to be the foolishness of society.

Democritus was considered by many in his time to be something beyond mortal because of what they believed was his gift for predicting the future. The truth was that he was simply a man who knew a great deal about nature, for example, the properties and uses of herbs and plants or the patterns of weather. At one point he was a student of Leucippus, and it was this collaboration that led to the development of atomism. Democritus is also the first recorded person to suggest the existence of other life in the universe.

Web Resources On Democritus

IEP: Democritus
Wikipedia: Democritus

Book Resources On Democritus

Democritus: The Great Philosophers by Paul Cartledge
A History of Greek Philosophy: Volume 2, The Presocratic Tradition from Parmenides to Democritus by W. K. C. Guthrie

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