Democritus - biography and philosophical doctrine. Democritus - biography, information, personal life Democritus is considered a supporter of which direction in philosophy

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

Democritus was a man of extensive learning, who traveled extensively in the East. He wrote a lot of works and had a 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 perpetual motion, which constantly either connects or separates them. This process of connection and separation produces the appearance and disappearance of individual objects; their interaction produces all the infinite variety of what exists. 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 the earth, carried away by a rapid circular motion in height and in a red-hot 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 a person who was the main subject of research by Democritus. He argued that the human body is arranged very expediently; he considered the brain as the receptacle of thinking, the heart as the receptacle of passions, but the body, in his opinion, was only a “vessel of the soul”; he considered concern for mental development to be the main duty of a person.

The changing world of phenomena is a ghostly world; the study of the phenomena of this world cannot lead to true knowledge. Recognizing the sensual world as illusory, Democritus, like Heraclitus, says that a person must, under all changes in circumstances, maintain peace of mind. He who knows how to distinguish the essential from the accidental, the truth from the ghost, he 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 benefits and pleasures, but in contentment, in the unchanging peace of mind, and is achieved by abstinence, purity of thoughts and deeds, mental education; a man's happiness depends on how he carries himself; the gods give man only good things, only by his own recklessness does he turn good into bad. The application of these thoughts to matters of public and private life is the main content of the moral philosophy of Democritus. Divine forces 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 personified in them their ideas about the forces of nature and moral concepts, or spirits (“demons”), mortal beings.

Weeping Heraclitus and laughing Democritus. Italian fresco 1477

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

Democritus (he was also called Democritus from Abder by 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 for the entire era of modernity, any fundamentally new conclusions have been added to them in a very small amount.

From his biography, we know only fragmentary information. Even ancient researchers could not come to a consensus on exactly when 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.

The legend says 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 with dinner) some Chaldeans and magicians. Democritus, according to legend, was their student.

It is not known whether his education was exhausted by this, but the store of knowledge and experience increased significantly during numerous trips and travels, which, in turn, became possible due to the receipt of a rich inheritance after the death of his father. It is known that he visited such countries as Persia, Egypt, Iran, India, Babylonia, Ethiopia, got 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, it is likely that he met with Anaxagoras.

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

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

From the point of view of the inhabitants, Democritus led a rather strange way of life, for example, he liked to meditate, moving away from the hustle and bustle of the cemetery. He was given the nickname "The Laughing Philosopher", in particular, for the manner of laughing in public for no apparent reason (the philosopher could not look without laughing at how sometimes petty and absurd human concerns were compared to the greatness of the world order). According to legend, the townspeople turned to Hippocrates to examine Democritus, who was moved by the mind, but the famous doctor recognized the philosopher as completely healthy and called him one of the smartest people he had to deal with. He died approximately in 380 BC. e.

Diogenes Laertes claimed that Democritus wrote about 70 works devoted not only to philosophy, but also to other sciences and arts. Most often there is a mention of the "Big World" and "Small World". Until our time, his legacy has come down 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 short, simple and clear.

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 being, various processes that take place 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 perfect, or opposite 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 of Democritus, Epicurus, Leucippus are known in narrower circles among people who have chosen 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 doctrine, 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 say with confidence about the origin of this philosopher from a wealthy family.

Lifestyle

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

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

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

The Laughing Philosopher

Many contemporaries did not understand who Democritus was. He often left his city for the purpose of solitude. To escape from the bustle, he visited the cemetery. Often the behavior of Democritus was strange: he could burst into laughter for no apparent reason, simply because human problems seemed funny to him. Due 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 modernity, was invited specifically for the diagnosis. The result of the meeting with the philosopher was evidence that Democritus is 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 united 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 writings of Diogenes Laertius - he wrote more than other scientists about who Democritus was. As a rule, treatises were tetralogy 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 Chaldea and On Sacred Inscriptions in Babylon. This is due to the legend that was created about the education and travels of the philosopher.

Materialism of Democritus

This philosopher is the most prominent representative of atomistic materialism. Democritus argued that the entire surrounding world, according to sensory perception, is changeable, diverse. Everything is made up of matter and void. It was then that the term "atom" was first introduced as the smallest indivisible component of everything that exists. The doctrine of Democritus says 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 the collisions of atoms, different in weight, size and shape. Since the atom is a material, indivisible and eternal quantity, there are a large number of atoms, different in weight and shape. 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 the soul. According to his writings, any living being 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 an association 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 atomistics and materialistic philosophy

OK. 460 - approx. 370 BC e.

short biography

Democritus(he was also called Democritus from Abder by his place of birth) - an ancient Greek philosopher, the first consistent materialist, one of the first representatives of atomism. His achievements in this area are so great that for the entire era of modernity, any fundamentally new conclusions have been added to them in a very small amount.

Indeed, Democritus possessed such an encyclopedic, extensive and versatile knowledge that he deserves the title of the predecessor of the famous Plato; from 343 BC e. - teacher of Alexander the Great; in 335/4 BC. e. founded Lyceum (ancient Greek Λύκειον Lyceum, or peripatetic school); naturalist of the classical period; the most influential of the philosophers of antiquity; founder of formal logic; created a conceptual apparatus that still permeates the philosophical lexicon and style of scientific thinking; was the first thinker to create a comprehensive system of philosophy that covered all areas of human development: sociology, philosophy, politics, logic, physics astronomy, ethics, mathematics, physics, medicine, technology, music theory, philology... As for philosophy, in this area his mentor was the atomist Leucippus, information about which is practically absent in our time. Nevertheless, the emergence of such a universal philosophical doctrine as atomism is usually associated precisely with the theories of Democritus.It was a synthesis of cosmology, physics, epistemology, ethics and psychology - areas of knowledge that were dealt with by the oldest philosophical Greek schools.

Biography from Wikipedia

Democritus of Abdera(Δημόκριτος; c. 460 BC, Abdera - c. 370 BC) - an ancient Greek philosopher, presumably a student of Leucippus, one of the founders of atomistics and materialistic 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). He listened to the Pythagorean Philolaus and Socrates in Athens, was familiar with Anaxagoras.

They say that Democritus spent a lot of money on these travels, inherited from him. However, the embezzlement of the inheritance in Abderah was prosecuted. At the trial, instead of his defense, Democritus read out excerpts from his work, "The Great World Construction", and was acquitted: fellow citizens decided that his father's money was well spent.

The lifestyle of Democritus, however, seemed incomprehensible to the Abderites: he constantly left the city, hiding in cemeteries, where, far from the bustle of the city, he indulged in reflections; sometimes Democritus burst into laughter for no apparent reason, human affairs seemed so ridiculous 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 really met with the philosopher, but decided that Democritus was absolutely healthy both physically and mentally, and in addition, he affirmed that Democritus was one of the smartest people with whom he had to communicate. Bion from Abdera is known from the students of Democritus.

According to Lucian, Democritus lived for 104 years.

Philosophy of Democritus

In his philosophical views, he spoke with an opposition point of view to the Eleatics regarding the conceivability of a multitude and the conceivability of movement, but he 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, "the most subtle of all ancient thinkers".

Atomistic materialism

The main achievement of the philosophy of Democritus is considered to be the development of the teachings of Leucippus (there was even a theory that Leucippus is 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 being, does not collapse and not arising ( atomistic materialism). He described the world as a system of atoms in a 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 - “look, appearance”, materialistic category, as opposed to idealistic ideas Socrates). Atoms, according to this theory, move randomly in empty space (the Great Void, as Democritus said), collide and, due to the correspondence of shapes, sizes, positions and orders, either stick 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 that compose them, and to the difference in the order of assembly, just as different words are made up of the same letters. Atoms cannot touch, since everything that does not have emptiness inside it is indivisible, that is, a single atom. Therefore, there are always at least small gaps of emptiness between two atoms, so that even in ordinary bodies there is emptiness. It also follows from this that when atoms approach at very small distances, repulsive forces begin to act between them. At the same time, mutual attraction between atoms is also possible according to the principle “like attracts like”.

The various qualities of bodies are completely 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 - sweet, in opinion - bitter, in reality [there are only] atoms and emptiness." So says Democritus, believing that all perceptible 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 fact is that “in the general opinion” [with him] means the same as “according to the generally accepted opinion” and “for us”, [but] 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 "real", which means "true". The whole point of [this] teaching itself should be this. [Only] among people is something white, black, sweet, bitter, and everything else of that kind recognized, but truly everything is "what" and "nothing." And these are again his own expressions, namely, he called the atoms “what”, and the void - “nothing”.

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 must be assumed that in unlimited time and in unlimited space it either has already taken place, or someday will come: 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 rather than in any other form. It follows, in particular, that if a phenomenon can in principle occur in various forms, then all these types exist in reality. Democritus made several important conclusions from the principle of isonomy: 1) there are atoms of any shape and size (including the size of the whole world); 2) all directions and all points in the Great Void are equal; 3) atoms move in the Great Void in any direction with any speed. The last provision is very important for the theory of Democritus. In essence, it follows from it that the movement itself does not need to be explained, the reason needs to be sought only for changing the movement. Describing the views of the 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, because why will it stop here rather than there? Therefore, it must either be at rest or move indefinitely, unless something stronger interferes.

In essence, 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 clearly aware 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 whirlwind spontaneously forms. The symmetry of the Great Void is broken inside the whirlwind, where the center and periphery appear. 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 is already a significant progress. Democritus explains the separation of matter inside the vortex as follows: in their striving for 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. Something like a protective film is formed on the outer surface of the world, separating the cosmos from the surrounding Great Void. Since the structure of the world is determined by the aspiration of atoms to the center of the vortex, the world of Democritus has a spherically symmetrical structure.

Democritus is a supporter 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 the third - there are not one, but several of them. The distance between the worlds is not the same; besides, in one place there are more worlds, in another - less. Some worlds are growing, others have reached full bloom, others are already shrinking. In one place the worlds arise, in another they decline. They are destroyed by colliding 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 take place, then in infinite space somewhere, sometime, it is bound to take place; what is happening in a given place at a given time must also be happening in other places at one time or another. Thus, if a vortex-like movement of atoms arose in a given place in space, which led 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 be worlds without a sun and moon at all, 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 just a clot of matter). Moreover, there are no grounds for the fact that somewhere in boundless space exactly the same world as ours would not be formed. All worlds move in different directions, because all directions and all states of motion are equal. In this case, the worlds can collide, collapsing. Similarly, all moments of time are equal: if the formation of the world is taking place now, then somewhere it must take place both in the past and in the future; different worlds are currently at different stages of development. In the course of its movement, the world, the formation of which has not ended, may accidentally penetrate the boundaries of the fully formed world and be 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, then 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 cited the following argument: if the Earth were a ball, then the sun, setting and rising, would be crossed by the horizon along an arc of a circle, and not in a straight line, as it really is. 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 be noticed only 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: the Moon, Venus, the Sun, other planets, stars (as the distance from the Earth increases). Moreover, the farther away from us the luminary, the slower (in relation to the stars) it moves. Following Empedocles and Anaxagoras, Democritus believed that the fall of celestial bodies to Earth is prevented by centrifugal force. Democritus came up with the brilliant idea 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 a common 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 already as an objective good, and not only as a subjective sensory perception.

He considered the basic principle of human existence to be in a state of benevolent, serene disposition of the spirit (euthymia), devoid of passions and extremes. This is not just a simple sensual pleasure, but a state of "peace, serenity and harmony."

Democritus believed that all evil and misfortune happens to a person due to the lack of the necessary knowledge. From this he concluded that the elimination of 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 the gods from the extraordinary phenomena taking place in the world." In confirmation, Sextus quotes Democritus:

Ancient people, observing celestial phenomena, such as thunder and lightning, thunderbolts and conjunctions of stars, eclipses of the sun and moon, were horrified, believing that the gods are the culprits of these phenomena.

However, elsewhere the same Sextus writes:

Democritus says that “certain idols (images) approach people, and some of them are beneficial, others are harmful. Therefore, he prayed that he would come across happy images. They are of enormous size, monstrous [in appearance] and distinguished by their extreme strength, but they are not immortal. They foretell the future for people with 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 other god who would have an immortal nature.

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

These teachings in ancient Greek philosophy and in Roman.

Practice:

Philosophy as a system includes various elements - components: the doctrine of being (about substance, essential properties) - ontology. The doctrine of knowledge - about the 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. Philosophical doctrine of values - axiology.

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

This question has 2 sides:

1. PARTY OVF.

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 a primary spiritual, existing independently of a person, objective idealism is the teaching of Plato)

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

2. PARTY OF OVF.

The question is how our knowledge of the world relates to the world: whether they correspond to this world or not. In essence, this is a question about the cognizability of the world: if knowledge corresponds to the surrounding world, then it is true and the world is cognizable 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 cognizability of the world, although the process of cognition itself is interpreted in different ways. However, in philosophy there are teachings that affirm the fundamental unknowability of the world. Such a philosophical movement is agnosticism.