Democritus - biography and philosophical teaching. Democritus - biography, information, personal life Which direction in philosophy is Democritus considered a supporter of?

A mechanical explanation of nature was carried out in the teachings of atomists. Aristotle and Theophrastus call Leucippus the founder of this teaching, about whom we have almost no information other than this. Epicurus even said that Leucippus was a fictitious person, and many new researchers find that Epicurus was right. But regardless of whether Leucippus was a real person or not, the most important representative of the atomistic teaching was Democritus of Abdera (about 460–370), according to some, the founder of this teaching, according to others, a student of Leucippus.

Democritus was a man of extensive learning who traveled widely in the East. He wrote a lot of essays and had great literary talent. He rejected the teaching of Empedocles and Anaxagoras that primitive matter consists of different substances; According to his teaching, the basic particles of matter are simple, indivisible bodies (ατομοι, atoms) and differ from each other only in size and shape. The second essential idea of his teaching is the recognition of the presence of empty space in the world: without emptiness, movement would be unthinkable.

Philosopher Democritus

Atoms, according to Democritus, are in eternal motion, which constantly connects and separates them. This process of connections and separations produces the appearance and disappearance of individual objects; their interaction produces all the infinite diversity of existence. The center of the universe is occupied by the motionless earth. It has the shape of a flat cylinder and is surrounded by air in which celestial bodies move. Democritus considered them to be masses of matter similar to that of the earth, carried away by a rapid circular movement in height and in a heated state. All parts of the universe are permeated with atoms of fire, which are very small, round and smooth; these atoms animate the universe. There are especially many of them in man, who was the main subject of Democritus’ research. He argued that the human body is designed very purposefully; he considered the brain to be the seat of thinking, the heart to be the seat of passions, but the body, in his opinion, was only a “vessel of the soul”; He considered caring for mental development to be the main responsibility of a person.

The changing world of phenomena is a ghostly world; studying the phenomena of this world cannot lead to true knowledge. Recognizing the sensory world as illusory, Democritus, like Heraclitus, says that a person must maintain peace of mind despite all changes in circumstances. He who knows how to distinguish the essential from the accidental, the truth from the ghost, seeks happiness not in sensual pleasures, but in giving his spiritual life the right course. The purpose of life, according to Democritus, is happiness; but it does not consist in external goods and pleasures, but in contentment, in constant peace of mind, and is achieved by self-control, purity of thoughts and deeds, and mental education; A person's happiness depends on how he carries himself; The gods give man only good, only through his own recklessness does he turn good into bad. The application of these thoughts to matters of public and private life constitutes the main content of the moral philosophy of Democritus. Divine powers are, according to his teaching, the forces of nature in the human mind; The deities of folk religion are either ghosts created by fantasy, which personifies in them its ideas about the forces of nature and moral concepts, or spirits (“demons”), mortal beings.

Crying Heraclitus and laughing Democritus. Italian fresco 1477

In the vastness of his knowledge, the insight of his mind and the consistency of his conclusions, Democritus surpassed almost all previous and contemporary philosophers. His literary activity was very multifaceted. He wrote treatises on mathematics, natural science, moral sciences, aesthetics, grammar, and technical arts. Democritus rendered great services to the development of natural science; we have only vague information about them, because his works were lost; but it must be assumed that, as a naturalist, he was the greatest of all the predecessors of Aristotle, who owed him a great deal and speaks of his works with the deepest respect.

Democritus (he was also called Democritus of Abdera after his place of birth) is an ancient Greek philosopher, the first consistent materialist, one of the first representatives of atomism. His achievements in this area are so great that over the entire modern era, any fundamentally new conclusions have been added to them in very small quantities.

We know only fragmentary information from his biography. Even ancient researchers could not come to a consensus on when exactly Democritus was born. It is believed that this happened around 470 BC. e. His homeland was Thrace, a region of Eastern Greece, the seaside city of Abdera.

Legend has it that the father of Democritus received as a gift from the Persian king Xerxes for his hospitality and cordiality (his army passed through Thrace, and the father of the future philosopher allegedly fed the soldiers dinner) certain Chaldeans and magicians. Democritus, according to legend, was their student.

It is not known whether his education was exhausted by this, but his knowledge and experience increased significantly during numerous trips and travels, which, in turn, became possible thanks to receiving a rich inheritance after the death of his father. It is known that he visited countries such as Persia, Egypt, Iran, India, Babylonia, Ethiopia, and became acquainted with the culture and philosophical views of the peoples living there. For some time he lived in Athens, listened to the lectures of Socrates, and quite possibly met with Anaxagoras.

In the hometown of Democritus, embezzlement of parental inheritance was considered a crime and was punishable by the court. The philosopher’s case was also considered at the court hearing. Legend has it that, as a defense speech, Democritus read several passages from “The Great World-Building,” his work, after which his fellow citizens returned a verdict of not guilty, thereby recognizing that he had found a worthy use for his father’s money.

Indeed, Democritus possessed such encyclopedic, extensive and versatile knowledge that he deserves the title of predecessor of the famous Aristotle. In his contemporary era, there were no sciences that he did not study: astronomy, ethics, mathematics, physics, medicine, technology, music theory, philology. As for philosophy, his mentor in this area was the atomist Leucippus, information about whom is practically absent in our time. Nevertheless, the emergence of such a universal philosophical doctrine as atomism is usually associated with the theories of Democritus. It represented a synthesis of cosmology, physics, epistemology, ethics and psychology - areas of knowledge that were studied by the most ancient philosophical Greek schools.

Democritus led a rather strange lifestyle from the point of view of ordinary people; for example, he liked to think, moving away from the bustle in the cemetery. He was given the nickname “The Laughing Philosopher,” in particular, for his manner of laughing publicly for no apparent reason (the philosopher could not look without laughing at how petty and absurd human concerns were sometimes compared to the greatness of the world order). According to legend, the townspeople turned to Hippocrates to examine Democritus, who had gone crazy, but the famous doctor recognized the philosopher as completely healthy and called him one of the smartest people with whom he had to deal. He died around 380 BC. e.

Diogenes Laertius claimed that Democritus wrote about 70 works devoted not only to philosophy, but also to other sciences and arts. The most common references are to the “Great World-Building” and the “Small World-Building”. His legacy has survived to this day in the form of 300 fragments. In the era of antiquity, Democritus gained fame not only for his philosophical views, but also for his ability to express thoughts in his writings beautifully, but at the same time briefly, simply and clearly.

As you know, Ancient Greece became the parent of the current concepts of philosophy and some other sciences. It was from this country that the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers and scientists about existence, various processes that occur in the world, including mental ones, came to us.

Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes, Diogenes, Socrates, Democritus, Leucippus, Epicurus and many others became the founders of the great science of philosophy. It was on their teachings that new, more advanced, or opposing ideas were based.

In this article we will talk in more detail about who Democritus is. Personalities such as Aristotle and Socrates are most likely known even to children. In modern schools, these people are always mentioned in history lessons. But the names Democritus, Epicurus, Leucippus are known in narrower circles among people who chose philosophy as the basis of their profession. The teachings of these philosophers are much more complex and deeper to understand.

Who is Democritus

Democritus (lat. Demokritos) is an ancient Greek philosopher. Born around 460 BC and lived until 360 BC. The main merit of Democritus is the atomistic teaching, of which he became the founder.

No one knows the exact date of birth of this philosopher. Some scientists of those times claimed that he was born in 460 BC. e., others - in 470 BC. e. In this case, it is impossible to say exactly who is right.

Of course, it cannot be described completely. There are many inaccurate facts. However, we can speak with confidence about the origin of this philosopher from a wealthy family.

Lifestyle

Diogenes Laertius conveyed the legend that this philosopher studied with the magicians and Chaldeans, who were a gift from the Persian king to his father. Legend has it that the gift was given in gratitude for the fact that Xerxes' army was fed lunch when passing through Thrace, the hometown of Democritus.

Democritus loved to travel. Therefore, his rich inheritance was spent on precisely this. During his life, Democritus visited at least 4 states - Egypt, Persia, India and Babylon.

There was a period in the philosopher’s life when he lived in Athens and studied from the works of Socrates. There are also facts that Democritus met Anaxagoras at that time.

"Laughing" philosopher

Many contemporaries did not understand who Democritus was. He often left his city for the purpose of solitude. To escape the bustle, he visited the cemetery. Democritus' behavior was often strange: he could burst into laughter for no apparent reason, simply because people's problems seemed funny to him. Thanks to this feature of his behavior, he began to be called the “laughing philosopher.”

Many considered the philosopher a little crazy. At that time, Hippocrates, the most famous doctor of those times, who also left his mark on modern times, was invited specifically to make a diagnosis. The result of the meeting with the philosopher was evidence that Democritus was absolutely healthy both mentally and physically. The doctor also noted the subtle mind of this philosopher.

Works of Democritus

The name of Democritus is associated with the emergence of one of the fundamental theories of philosophy - atomism. This theory combines such sciences as physics, cosmology, epistemology, psychology and ethics. It is generally accepted that this theory also combined the problems of the three main ancient Greek philosophical schools: Pythagorean, Eleatic and Milesian.

Scientists claim that Democritus at one time became the author of more than 70 different treatises. The titles of these works are given in the works of Diogenes Laertius - he wrote more than other scientists about who Democritus was. As a rule, treatises were tetralogies on various sciences - mathematics, physics, ethics, literature, language, applied sciences and even medicine.

Separately, it is worth noting that Democritus was considered the author of the “Book of the Chaldeans” and “On the Sacred Inscriptions in Babylon.” This is explained by the legend that was created about the philosopher’s training and travels.

Materialism of Democritus

This philosopher is the most prominent representative of atomistic materialism. Democritus argued that the entire world around us, according to sensory perception, is changeable and diverse. Everything consists of matter and emptiness. It was then that the term “atom” was first introduced as the smallest indivisible component of all things. The teachings of Democritus say that the whole world consists of atoms that move in the void.

This philosopher had his own theory of the origin of the Earth in the center of a vortex, which was formed from collisions of atoms of different weight, size and shape. Since the atom is a material, indivisible and eternal quantity, there are a large number of atoms of different weights and shapes. By themselves they are devoid of content, but together they form changeable things due to constant movement in the void.

He also applied the postulates to the doctrine of life and soul. According to his works, every living creature has a soul, but each to a different degree. Life and death are the result of the combination or decomposition of atoms. Democritus said that the soul is a union of special “fiery” atoms, which, in its essence, is also temporary. Based on these arguments, he rejected the theory of the immortality of the soul.

Δημόκριτος;

ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of atomism and materialist philosophy

OK. 460 - approx. 370 BC e.

short biography

Democritus(he was also called Democritus of Abdera after his place of birth) - ancient Greek philosopher, the first consistent materialist, one of the first representatives of atomism. His achievements in this area are so great that over the entire modern era, any fundamentally new conclusions have been added to them in very small quantities.

Indeed, Democritus possessed such encyclopedic, extensive and versatile knowledge that he deserves the title of predecessor of the famous Plato; from 343 BC e. - teacher of Alexander the Great; in 335/4 BC. e. founded the Lyceum (Ancient Greek: Λύκειον Lyceum, or Peripatetic school); naturalist of the classical period; the most influential of the ancient philosophers; founder of formal logic; created a conceptual apparatus that still permeates the philosophical vocabulary and style of scientific thinking; was the first thinker to create a comprehensive system of philosophy that covered all spheres of human development: sociology, philosophy, politics, logic, physics" target="_blank" href="/kratkie-biografii/aristotel">Aristotle. In his contemporary era there were no sciences , which he did not study: astronomy, ethics, mathematics, physics, medicine, technology, music theory, philology. As for philosophy, his mentor in this area was the atomist Leucippus, information about whom is practically absent in our time. However, the emergence of such a universal philosophical doctrine as atomism is usually associated precisely with the theories of Democritus. It represented a synthesis of cosmology, physics, epistemology, ethics and psychology - areas of knowledge that dealt with the most ancient philosophical Greek schools.

Biography from Wikipedia

Democritus of Abdera(Δημόκριτος; c. 460 BC, Abdera - c. 370 BC) - ancient Greek philosopher, presumably a student of Leucippus, one of the founders of atomism and materialist philosophy.

Born in the city of Abdera in Thrace. During his life he traveled a lot, studying the philosophical views of various peoples (Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Persia, India, Ethiopia). I listened to the Pythagorean Philolaus and Socrates in Athens, and was familiar with Anaxagoras.

They say that Democritus spent a lot of money, which he inherited, on these travels. However, embezzlement of inheritance in Abdera was prosecuted. At the trial, instead of defending himself, Democritus read excerpts from his work, “The Great World-Building,” and was acquitted: his fellow citizens decided that his father’s money had not been spent in vain.

The way of life of Democritus, however, seemed incomprehensible to the Abderites: he constantly left the city, hid in cemeteries, where, far from the bustle of the city, he indulged in reflection; sometimes Democritus burst into laughter for no apparent reason, human affairs seemed so funny to him against the backdrop of the great world order (hence his nickname "The Laughing Philosopher"). Fellow citizens considered Democritus insane, and even invited the famous physician Hippocrates to examine him. He actually met with the philosopher, but decided that Democritus was absolutely healthy both physically and mentally, and in addition stated that Democritus was one of the smartest people with whom he had to communicate. Bion from Abdera is known among Democritus’ students.

According to Lucian, Democritus lived 104 years.

Philosophy of Democritus

In his philosophical views, he took a stand in opposition to the Eleatics regarding the conceivability of multitude and the conceivability of movement, but completely agreed with them that a truly existing being can neither arise nor disappear. The materialism of Democritus, which is characteristic of almost all scientists of that time, is contemplative and metaphysical. Democritus, according to Seneca, is "the most subtle of all ancient thinkers."

Atomistic materialism

The main achievement of the philosophy of Democritus is considered to be his development of the teaching of Leucippus (there was even a theory that Leucippus was the name of the young Democritus, but it was refuted by such scientists as Diels, Zeller and Makovelsky) about the “atom” - an indivisible particle of matter that has true existence, is not destroyed and non-emerging ( atomistic materialism). He described the world as a system of atoms in the void, rejecting the infinite divisibility of matter, postulating not only the infinity of the number of atoms in the Universe, but also the infinity of their forms ( ideas, είδος - “appearance, appearance”, a materialistic category, as opposed to idealistic ideas Socrates). Atoms, according to this theory, move in empty space (the Great Emptiness, as Democritus said) chaotically, collide and, due to the correspondence of shapes, sizes, positions and orders, either stick together or fly apart. The resulting compounds hold together and thus produce complex bodies. Movement itself is a property naturally inherent in atoms. Bodies are combinations of atoms. The diversity of bodies is due both to the difference in the atoms composing them and to the difference in the order of assembly, just as different words are formed from the same letters. Atoms cannot touch, since everything that does not have emptiness inside itself is indivisible, that is, a single atom. Consequently, between two atoms there are always at least small gaps of emptiness, so that even in ordinary bodies there is emptiness. It also follows that when atoms approach very small distances, repulsive forces begin to act between them. At the same time, mutual attraction is possible between atoms according to the principle “like attracts like.”

The various qualities of bodies are entirely determined by the properties of atoms and their combinations and the interaction of atoms with our senses. According to Galen,

“[Only] in general opinion there is color, in opinion there is sweetness, in opinion there is bitterness, in reality [there are only] atoms and emptiness.” This is what Democritus says, believing that all sensible qualities arise from the combination of atoms [existing only] for us who perceive them, but by nature there is nothing white, black, yellow, red, bitter or sweet. The point is that “in general opinion” [for him] means the same thing as “according to generally accepted opinion” and “for us,” [and] not by the nature of things themselves; the nature of the things themselves he, in turn, designates [by the expression] “in reality,” composing the term from the word “actual,” which means “true.” The whole meaning of [this] teaching itself should be like this. [Only] people recognize something as white, black, sweet, bitter and everything else of this kind, but in truth everything is “what” and “nothing.” And these are again his own expressions, namely, he called atoms “what”, and emptiness - “nothing”.

The principle of isonomy

The main methodological principle of the atomists was the principle of isonomy (literal translation from Greek: equality of all before the law), which is formulated as follows: if a particular phenomenon is possible and does not contradict the laws of nature, then it is necessary to assume that in infinite time and in infinite space it either has already taken place, or will someday occur: in infinity there is no boundary between possibility and existence. This principle is also called the principle of lack of sufficient reason: there is no reason for any body or phenomenon to exist in this form rather than in any other. It follows, in particular, that if a phenomenon can, in principle, occur in different forms, then all these types exist in reality. Democritus made several important conclusions from the principle of isonomy: 1) there are atoms of all shapes and sizes (including the size of the whole world); 2) all directions and all points in the Great Emptiness are equal; 3) atoms move in the Great Emptiness in any direction with at any speed. The last position is very important for the theory of Democritus. Essentially, it follows that movement in itself does not need to be explained; the reason must be sought only for a change in movement. Describing the views of atomists, their opponent Aristotle writes in Physics:

... no one [of those who recognize the existence of emptiness, that is, atomists] will be able to say why [a body] set in motion will stop somewhere, for why would it rather stop here and not there? Consequently, it must either rest or move ad infinitum, unless something stronger interferes.

Essentially, this is a clear statement of the principle of inertia - the basis of all modern physics. Galileo, who is often credited with the discovery of inertia, was quite clear that the roots of this principle go back to ancient atomism.

Cosmology

The Great Void is spatially infinite. In the initial chaos of atomic movements in the Great Void, a vortex spontaneously forms. The symmetry of the Great Emptiness turns out to be broken inside the vortex, a center and periphery arise there. Heavy bodies formed in a vortex tend to accumulate near the center of the vortex. The difference between light and heavy is not qualitative, but quantitative, and this alone constitutes significant progress. Democritus explains the separation of matter inside the vortex as follows: in their rush to the center of the vortex, heavier bodies displace lighter ones, and they remain closer to the periphery of the vortex. In the center of the world, the Earth is formed, consisting of the heaviest atoms. On the outer surface of the world, something like a protective film is formed, separating space from the surrounding Great Void. Since the structure of the world is determined by the tendency of atoms to the center of the vortex, the world of Democritus has a spherically symmetrical structure.

Democritus is a proponent of the concept of a plurality of worlds. As Hippolytus describes the views of the atomists,

The worlds are infinite in number and differ from each other in size. In some of them there is neither sun nor moon, in others the sun and moon are larger than ours, in others there are not one of them, but several. The distances between the worlds are not the same; In addition, in one place there are more worlds, in another there are fewer. Some worlds are expanding, others have reached full bloom, and others are already declining. In one place worlds arise, in another they decline. They are destroyed when they collide with each other. Some of the worlds are devoid of animals, plants and any kind of moisture.

The multiplicity of worlds follows from the principle of isonomy: if a process of some kind can occur, then in infinite space somewhere someday it will certainly occur; what happens in a given place at a given point in time must also happen in other places at certain points in time. Thus, if in a given place in space a vortex-like movement of atoms arose, leading to the formation of our world, then a similar process should occur in other places, leading to the formation of other worlds. The resulting worlds are not necessarily the same: there is no reason why there should not exist worlds without any sun and moon, or with three suns and ten moons; only the earth is a necessary element of each world (probably simply by the definition of this concept: if there is no central earth, it is no longer a world, but simply a clump of matter). Moreover, there is also no reason why, somewhere in infinite space, exactly the same world as ours would not form. All worlds move in different directions, since all directions and all states of motion are equal. In this case, worlds can collide, collapsing. Similarly, all moments of time are equal: if the formation of the world occurs now, then somewhere it must occur both in the past and in the future; Currently, different worlds are at different stages of development. In the course of its movement, a world whose formation has not completed can accidentally penetrate into the confines of a fully formed world and find itself captured by it (this is how Democritus explained the origin of the heavenly bodies in our world).

Since the Earth is in the center of the world, all directions from the center are equal, and it has no reason to move in any direction (Anaximander held the same opinion about the reason for the immobility of the Earth). But there is also evidence that, according to Democritus, the Earth initially moved in space, and only subsequently stopped.

However, he was not a supporter of the theory of a spherical Earth. Democritus gave the following argument: if the Earth were a sphere, then the sun, setting and rising, would intersect the horizon in an arc of a circle, and not in a straight line, as in reality. Of course, this argument is untenable from a mathematical point of view: the angular diameters of the Sun and the horizon are very different, and this effect could only be noticed if they were almost the same (for this, obviously, one would have to move a very large distance from the earth).

According to Democritus, the order of the luminaries is as follows: Moon, Venus, Sun, other planets, stars (as the distance from the Earth increases). Moreover, the further away the light is from us, the slower (relative to the stars) it moves. Following Empedocles and Anaxagoras, Democritus believed that centrifugal force prevents the fall of celestial bodies to Earth. Democritus had the brilliant guess that the Milky Way is a multitude of stars located at such a small distance from each other that their images merge into a single faint glow.

Ethics

Democritus develops the pan-Hellenic concept measures, noting that the measure is the correspondence of a person’s behavior to his natural capabilities and abilities. Through the prism of such measures pleasure appears as an objective good, and not just a subjective sensory perception.

He considered the main principle of human existence to be in a state of blissful, serene state of mind (euthymia), devoid of passions and extremes. This is not just simple sensual pleasure, but a state of “peace, serenity and harmony.”

Democritus believed that all evil and misfortune happen to a person due to the lack of necessary knowledge. From this he concluded that the solution to problems lies in the acquisition of knowledge. The optimistic philosophy of Democritus did not allow the absoluteness of evil, deducing wisdom as a means of achieving happiness.

Religion

Democritus denied the existence of gods and the role of everything supernatural in the emergence of the world. According to Sextus Empiricus, he believed that “we came to the idea of gods from extraordinary phenomena occurring in the world.” In support, Sextus quotes Democritus:

Ancient people, observing celestial phenomena, such as thunder and lightning, thunderstorms and conjunctions of stars, eclipses of the sun and moon, were struck with horror, believing that the gods were the culprits of these phenomena.

However, in another place the same Sextus writes:

Democritus says that “certain idols (images) approach people, and some of them are beneficial, others are harmful. That’s why he prayed that he would come across happy images.” They are enormous in size, monstrous [in appearance] and extremely strong, but they are not immortal. They foretell the future to people by their appearance and the sounds they make. Based on these phenomena, the ancients came to the assumption that there is a God, while [in fact], apart from them, there is no god who would have an immortal nature.

I. D. Rozhansky Antique Science (M.: Nauka, 1980)

These teachings are in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.

Practice:

Philosophy as a system includes various elements - components: the doctrine of being (of substance, essential properties) - ontology. The doctrine of knowledge - about truth - gnosiology. The doctrine of thinking (forms and laws of thinking) - logic. Aesthetics- the doctrine of the beautiful and the ugly. Philosophical doctrine of man - philosophical anthropology. The philosophical doctrine of values is axiology.

The question of the relationship between matter and consciousness is called the FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF PHILOSOPHY.

This question has 2 sides:

1. OVF SIDE.

The question is what is primary and what is secondary - matter or consciousness? Depending on the answer, there are 2 schools of philosophy: materialism and idealism.

2 types of idealism:

1. Objective idealism (as the primary spiritual, existing independently of man, objective idealism is the teaching of Plato)

2. Subjective (the spiritual ideal principle depends on the person - the will - that is, the original principle depends on the subject).

2. OVF SIDE.

The question is how our knowledge about the world relates to the world: do they correspond to this world or not. Essentially, this is a question about the knowability of the world: if knowledge corresponds to the surrounding world, then it is true and the world is knowable by man. If knowledge does not correspond to the state of affairs, then the world is unknowable by man. For the most part, philosophical teachings (both materialistic and idealistic) recognize the knowability of the world, although the process of cognition itself is interpreted in different ways. At the same time, in philosophy there are teachings that affirm the fundamental unknowability of the world. This philosophical movement is agnosticism