Democritus

Democritus of Abdera Democritus
Born	460 BCE
Died	370 BCE

Democritus was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and aristocrat born in Abdera, Greece, around 460 BCE. He was primarily remembered for his theory of the existence of atoms that are the building blocks of the universe, alongside being known as the "Laughing Philosopher" for his cheerfulness. He was a student of Leucippus, who originally proposed the theory of atoms.

Democritus inherited a vast amount of wealth from his father, Hegesistratus, who was famously so wealthy that he was able to entertain the Persian King Xerxes I and his entire army. In doing so, he was rewarded with several Magi (scholars) to tutor the young Democritus in astronomy and theology. Upon his father's death, he inherited a fortune estimated at one hundred talents, which equated to 600,000 drachmae. This equated to a state-level treasury at the time, which he took in liquid cash to fund his travels across the world.

Biography

Democritus used his inheritance to become one of the most traveled scholars of the recorded ancient world. However, before traveling across continents, he traveled extensively in Turkiye and visited philosophical hubs such as Miletus and Ephesus to study the works of Thales, Anaximander, and Heraclitus.

He spent at least five years in Egypt and was educated in astronomy and geometry by Egyptian arpedonaptai (surveyors), who were famous for their practical mathematics and geometry. Under these arpedonaptai, he studied their calendars, astronomy, and the annual flooding of the Nile.

He then traveled to Babylon within Persia to study under the Chaldeans, learning their Babylonian celestial observations, astrological and mathematical records, and theology. His visit to Babylonia and Persia directly resulted in several of his (now lost) books, such as the Chaldaean Treatise and a lost work on Babylonian theology.

Along this path, he reportedly traveled to India and met the Gymnosophists (naked philosophers), learning their ascetic philosophy and absorbing their disciplines, meditation techniques, and perspectives on the illusion of the material world.

Democritus might have traveled north of the Black Sea; here, he might have observed various diverse Scythian tribes and studied them. These anthropological observations aided his writings on the origin of human society, language, and culture.

After decades abroad, Democritus traveled to Athens, though his visit was anticlimactic. When he arrived in Athens, he is quoted as saying, "I came to Athens and no one knew me." He preferred life as a private researcher as opposed to teaching.

Teachings

Atomism

Democritus, using his teacher Leucippus's ideas, argued that the universe is composed of atoms and the void. He proposed that all matter is made of infinite, indestructible, and unchanging particles. The void is what allows atoms to move, as they cannot move without empty space; he asserted that the void exists just as much as atoms do.

"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion." - (Democritus, as cited in Taylor, The Atomists, 1999, Fragment 9).

Mechanical Determinism

Democritus viewed the entirety of the universe as purely mechanical. He viewed everything that happened as a result of atoms colliding, combining, and separating in the void, and that there is no underlying grand purpose, but only everything operating on natural necessity and physical laws. He even viewed the human soul and mind as made of fine, spherical, and mobile atoms akin to fire.

"By necessity are foreordained all things that were and are and are to come." - Placita Philosophorum, Fragment 68 A 66.

Theory of Knowledge

Democritus saw a divide between what we perceive and what is real. Subjective qualities like color, taste, and temperature do not exist within objects but rather are how our senses interpret the shape and movements of atoms. In contrast, objective knowledge comes from intellect and reason, which allow us to understand the truth of the universe.

"By convention sweet and by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention color; but in reality atoms and void." - Adversus Mathematicos, Book VII

Euthymia

Although Democritus held a determinist and mechanical view of the universe, he maintained a relatively positive outlook on life. He believed a human's ultimate life goal is to achieve euthymia, which roughly translates to tranquility. He stated that this cannot be achieved through hedonic pursuits such as wealth or excessive pleasures, but rather that one can only achieve euthymia through moderation, a balanced life, and cultivating one's intellect.

Because he viewed the soul and mind as atoms, he stated that they simply scatter when we die, implying there is no afterlife. This is why he advocated for not worrying about death or the wrath of the gods.

"Happiness resides not in flocks, and not in gold; the soul is the dwelling-place of happiness." -  Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker.