Atomism: Democritus And Epicurus Essay -- essays research papers

Atomism Democritus and Epicurus     In the Atomists, we see pluralism taken as far as it could possibly go.We see Democritus and Epicurus divide all the world, as well as the universe,into two categories atoms and empty space. Everything else is merely thoughtto exist. The atoms be eternal, infinite in size and number and they armoving through the empty space. There is no effort without empty space. BothDemocritus and Epicurus concur that motion was impossible in a plenum, barely it ishere that their theories diverge. In the cause of the motion, we begin to see avariety of opinions.     Both Democritus and Epicurus agree that the qualitative world of senseperception arises from the motion of qualitatively deaf(p) atoms. They believethat the immense qualitative variety results from the jostling of atoms...asthey collide and bounce a eccentric, and so, incessantly form new groupings (Jones 84).They believe it to be a mechanical touch on occurring completely by chance.Furthermore, although new groupings are constantly being formed, exclusively the fewthat can survive are considered the right combinations. These are thecombinations we name through our senses as being real, although they arenot. However, the way in which this complex motion begins is a source ofcontroversy and disagreement amongst the Atomists.     Democritus assumes that the atoms motion is perpetual. The atoms are neer at rest. He presumes that their disposition is to move, thereby avoiding the conundrum of explaining the origin of the complex motion of atoms by simplyaffirming that it is in their nature to move so (Jones 85). He believes thatatoms are born along with the alone universe in a vortex. The vortex is not anoutside influence, but rather the motion of the atoms themselves. He neveraccounts for the initiation of this motion. He simply states that it is aninherent quality of the atoms themselves.   &nbs p Epicurus, on the other hand, wanted to find a reasoning behind the sign movement of the atoms to find the cause of the initial collisionswhich start the creation process of the universe.     Through observation of objects falling pot within our limitedperceptual space, Epicurus concluded ... ...ualities? Epicurus ambiguously calls these qualities accompaniments yetnever explains how they can exist outside of reality and still be consideredreal.     Epicurus changed the article of faith of Democritus in many ways in an attemptto clarify rough of the more questionable postulations. Epicurus theory is notnecessarily superior, but for sure progressive. There is room for discourse ona variety of the Atomists theories. Since they are the first school of thoughtfrom which we have so much indite record, there is bound to be divergence ofopinion. The areas I have discussed uphold only the area of physics. Epicurusattempts to resolve some o f the dilemmas Democritus leaves unresolved in respectableand psychological dilemmas as well.     Of course, lingual and interpretive constraints play a part in allphilosophical theory of the classical period. Yet in our "modern" world, werely heavily on the ideas set forth by these great thinkers. It would befoolish to take one concept as superior over another because the scope of ideasgiven to us by these thinkers is too great a wealth to judge subjectively.