how did democritus make his discovery

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How did Democritus discover his theory?

Democritus wondered, for example, what would happen if you cut a chunk of matter—such as a piece of cheese into smaller and smaller pieces. He thought that a point would be reached at which the cheese could not be cut into still smaller pieces. He called these pieces atomos, which means “uncuttable” in Greek.

What technology did Democritus use?

Democritus had no technology available to him and did not conduct any experiments to test his ideas. He had no proof that atoms existed and no evidence to back up his claims. He left it to later scientists to prove or disprove his ideas. Democritus did not pretend to know what atoms actually looked like.

What was Democritus invention?

atomDemocritus was a Greek philosopher who lived between 470-380 B.C. He developed the concept of the 'atom', Greek for 'indivisible'.

What inspired Democritus?

Democritus, in turn, was influenced by those who came before him, especially Parmenides of Elea (l. c. 485 BCE), Zeno of Elea (l. c. 465 BCE), and Empedocles (l. c. 484-424 BCE). The philosopher thought to make the greatest impression on him, however, besides his teacher Leucippus, was Anaxagoras (l. c. 500 - c.

When did Democritus make his discovery?

About 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Democritus suggested that all matter was formed of different types of tiny discrete particles and that the properties of these particles also determined the properties of matter.

How was the atom discovered?

The first modern evidence for atoms appears in the early 1800s when British chemist John Dalton discovered that chemicals always contain whole number ratios of atoms. That's why it's H2O and not it's H20. 4O or H square root of 17O.

Who discovered the atom?

This idea of tiny, indivisible bits of matter persisted until the 1800's. John Dalton (1766-1844), a great chemist, really started the modern atomic hypothesis.

What did Democritus learn about atoms?

One of these philosophers was Democritus (~460-370 B.C.E.), often referred to as the "laughing philosopher" because of his emphasis on cheerfulness. He taught that there were substances called atoms and that these atoms made up all material things. The atoms were unchangeable, indestructible, and always existed.

What atomic model did Democritus create?

Democritus created the first atomic model (a round sphere with no electrons, protons, or neutrons). His contribution helped people with understanding the idea of an atom and helped other scientists a further look into the science of the atom and its generic makeup.

What is Democritus theory?

The theory of Democritus held that everything is composed of "atoms," which are physically, but not geometrically, indivisible; that between atoms, there lies empty space; that atoms are indestructible, and have always been and always will be in motion; that there is an infinite number of atoms and of kinds of atoms, ...

Did Democritus believe in God?

Democritus did not believe in God or the gods, believing the world to be governed entirely by natural laws. This may be one of the reasons his works perished in later years. Democritus lived a long life, probably 90 years.

What is Democritus's term for no thing?

There is no more reason for the “hing” {Greek den} to be than the nothing {Greek mêden, not-hing}. Democritus takes the Greek word for “nothing” (mêden) and subtracts the Greek word for “not” (mê), and ends up with the (otherwise meaningless) Greek den.

What experiments did Democritus do?

Democritus did not carry out any experiments to see if his theory was correct, he based his theory on his observations. Unlike scientist today, Democritus lacked any solid evidence to support his theory. He had his supporters, but he also had distracters like Aristotle who rejected his theory.

What did Democritus think the atom looked like?

Around 400 B.C.E., the Greek philosopher Democritus introduced the idea of the atom as the basic building block matter. Democritus thought that atoms are tiny, uncuttable, solid particles that are surrounded by empty space and constantly moving at random.

Did Democritus believe in God?

Democritus did not believe in God or the gods, believing the world to be governed entirely by natural laws. This may be one of the reasons his works perished in later years. Democritus lived a long life, probably 90 years.

What did Democritus learn about atoms?

One of these philosophers was Democritus (~460-370 B.C.E.), often referred to as the "laughing philosopher" because of his emphasis on cheerfulness. He taught that there were substances called atoms and that these atoms made up all material things. The atoms were unchangeable, indestructible, and always existed.

Who was Democritus?

Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher. He and his mentor, Leucippus, are widely regarded as the first atomists in the Grecian tradition. Alth...

What is Democritus known for?

Democritus was a central figure in the development of the atomic theory of the universe. He theorized that all material bodies are made up of indiv...

When was Democritus born, and when did he die?

Relatively little is known about the life and death of Democritus. According to most reports, Democritus was born circa 460 BCE and died some 90 ye...

Is “democracy” named for Democritus?

No. Despite its phonetic similarity to Democritus, democracy is not named for Democritus. The word democracy is actually derived from the Greek dēm...

What subjects did Democritus write about?

Democritus wrote eloquently on subjects as diverse as the origin of human beings, artistic perspective, mathematics, anthropology, biology, medicine, cosmology, poetry, physics, and atomic theory. Advertisements.

What was Democritus's main goal?

Democritus’ personality was calm, tenacious, and cheerful – hence the name ‘laughing philosopher.’. He believed the main goal of life should be happiness for everyone. “A life without festivity is a long road without an inn.”.

How long did Democritus live?

This may be one of the reasons his works perished in later years. Democritus lived a long life, probably 90 years.

Which philosopher disagreed with Democritus about atoms and the void?

Although Aristotle disagreed with Democritus about atoms and the void, he praised him highly:

What is the atomic theory of Democritus?

More than two millennia before this, Democritus’ atomic theory argued from deduction and observation rather than experiment that: Everything is made of atoms. Atoms are the smallest particles of matter – too small for us to see, although larger ones could exist. Atoms have existed forever.

Where was Democritus born?

Democritus was born into a noble family in about 460 BC in the Ancient Greek city of Abdera. After his father died, Democritus used his inheritance to travel widely, educating himself both broadly and deeply.

Is Democritus's theory of atoms correct?

From a modern scientific perspective many of Democritus’ statement s about atoms are incorrect or flawed. They are also undeniably profound and indeed brilliant – Democritus explains the whole universe using a theory of microscopic particles. His idea that atoms are always in motion is both correct and exceptional. No better explanation of matter was produced until the nineteenth century.

What are the works of Democritus?

Diogenes Laertius lists a large number of works by Democritus on many fields, including ethics, physics, mathematics, music and cosmology . Two works, the Great World System and the Little World System (see the entry on doxography of ancient philosophy ), are sometimes ascribed to Democritus, although Theophrastus reports that the former is by Leucippus (DK 68A33). There is more uncertainty concerning the authenticity of the reports of Democritus' ethical sayings. Two collections of sayings are recorded in the fifth-century anthology of Stobaeus, one ascribed to Democritus and another ascribed to an otherwise unknown philosopher ‘Democrates’. DK accepts both as relating to Democritus, but the authenticity of sayings in both collections is a matter of scholarly discussion, as is the relationship between Democritus' atomism and his ethics.

What are the three things Democritus argued for?

Even its chief critic, Aristotle, praised Democritus for arguing from sound considerations appropriate to natural philosophy. 1. Life and Works. 2. Atomist Doctrine. 3. Theory of Perception. 4. The Soul and the Nature of Living Things.

What is the motivation of atomism?

Ancient sources describe atomism as one of a number of attempts by early Greek natural philosophers to respond to the challenge offered by Parmenides. Despite occasional challenges (Osborne 2004), this is how its motivation is generally interpreted by scholars today. Parmenides had argued that it is impossible for there to be change without something coming from nothing. Since the idea that something could come from nothing was generally agreed to be impossible, Parmenides argued that change is merely illusory. In response, Leucippus and Democritus, along with other Presocratic pluralists such as Empedocles and Anaxagoras, developed systems that made change possible by showing that it does not require that something should come to be from nothing. These responses to Parmenides suppose that there are multiple unchanging material principles, which persist and merely rearrange themselves to form the changing world of appearances. In the atomist version, these unchanging material principles are indivisible particles, the atoms: the atomists are often thought to have taken the idea that there is a lower limit to divisibility to answer Zeno's paradoxes about the impossibility of traversing infinitely divisible magnitudes (Hasper 2006). Reconstructions offered by Wardy (1988) and Sedley (2008) argue, instead, that atomism was developed as a response to Parmenidean arguments.

What does Democritus think about atoms?

Democritus regards the properties of atoms in combination as sufficient to account for the multitude of differences among the objects in the world that appears to us. Aristotle cites an analogy to the letters of the alphabet, which can produce a multitude of different words from a few elements in combinations; the differences all stem from the shape ( schêma) of the letters, as A differs from N; by their arrangement ( taxis ), as AN differs from NA; and by their positional orientation ( thesis ), as N differs from Z (DK 67A6). These terms are Aristotle's interpretation of Democritus' own terminology, which has a more dynamic sense (Mourelatos 2004). This passage omits differences of size, perhaps because it is focused on the analogy to letters of the alphabet: it is quite clear from other texts that Democritus thinks that atoms also differ in size.

What is Democritus' theory of perception?

Democritus' theory of perception depends on the claim that eidôla or images, thin layers of atoms, are constantly sloughed off from the surfaces of macroscopic bodies and carried through the air. Later atomists cite as evidence for this the gradual erosion of bodies over time.

When was Democritus born?

Life and Works. According to ancient reports, Democritus was born about 460 BCE (thus, he was a younger contemporary of Socrates) and was a citizen of Abdera, although some reports mention Miletus.

What is the meaning of void in Democritus's theory?

It has been suggested that Democritus' conception of void is that of the (temporarily) unfilled regions between atoms rather than a concept of absolute space (Sedley 1982). Void does not impede the motion of atoms because its essential quality is that of ‘yielding,’ in contrast to the mutual resistance of atoms.

What was Democritus' major discovery?

Geometry – Democritus’ major discovery was the triangle to cone ratio; he stated that the volume of a triangle is one-third of the cone.

What was Democritus's foundation work?

The foundation works of science and philosophy trackback to Democritus. His unending thirst for knowledge helped him discover mathematical concepts and contribute to other subjects widely studied and researched during his time.

Why is Democritus considered the father of modern science?

He is a very famous Greek philosopher due to the discovery of the atomic theory. The research he did on atoms makes him more likely a scientist than a philosopher. Therefore, he was given the title of father of modern science. Due to his smiling nature and making fun of others’ mistakes, he is also known as the laughing philosopher.

How many books did Democritus write?

Democritus is known to have written 70 books that couldn’t survive long enough. Even historians suggest that Plato, the Greek philosopher, who came after him didn’t like his ideas and had his books burned. He died at the age of 90 years in 370 BC in Greece.

Where was Democritus born?

Life Span – Biography. Democritus was born in Abdera, a local government of Thrace, Greece in 460 BC. He acquired most of the education on his own. His father’s name appears varying in historic records, who was a nobleman and possessed a vast portion of land.

Who claimed that hardly anyone would have traveled to farther parts of the world and met with philosophers than himself?

Democritus claimed that hardly anyone would have traveled to farther parts of the world and met with philosophers than himself.

Who was the teacher of Protagoras?

Democritus was the teacher of Protagoras – a Greek philosopher. Protagoras was regarded as an expert by Plato.

What did Democritus think of atoms?

Democritus thought that atoms emit an “eidôla” that we perceive as sensations.

What is the question that Democritus is facing?

The question now facing Democritus was how these basic, imperceptible atoms came to make the objects we all see, touch, and love. He noted how, when we look at the world around us, we can see it constantly changing, shifting, dying, and growing. The world flows. So atoms, which make up everything there is, must themselves be moving. They can’t just be inert or still.

Who discovered atoms?

We know atoms exist thanks to scientists and electron microscopes, but the idea goes much further back than that. It goes back to the ancient Greeks. Their output was prodigious. Almost every discipline you can study, the Greeks turned their minds to first. Pythagoras laid the foundation for math and geometry, Aristotle contemplated biology and physics, Plato thought about governance, Herodotus was a historian, and Hippocrates gave doctors his eponymous oath. But one of the most ingenious “firsts” must come with the atomists, like Democritus or Epicurus.

Who was the first determinist?

Democritus was one of the first determinists, arguing that a world made only of atoms and controlled by the laws of physics left no room for free will.

Who was the laughing philosopher?

We might think this a pretty depressing place to finish, yet Democritus was actually known as “the laughing philosopher.” He simply refused to take anything seriously. If reality was ultimately the invented story of our minds, and the universe was just physical laws, what’s the point in getting wound up by things? Why stress about that email from your boss, or that mean thing a friend said when there’s nothing we can do anyway? If the world is an illusion, and a boringly scripted one at that, why not laugh?

Who dreamed up the atom?

Greek philosopher Democritus dreamed up the atom.

Was Democritus a determinist?

The upshot of this is that Democritus was one of the first “determinists” in that he thought there could be no free will or choice. We’re all just marbles, bouncing around to the laws of physics.

What was Democritus's main idea?

Democritus was a man of many ideas. Atomic Theory was his idea that there were interchangeable components from which all matter was composed. It combined the best of all theories at the time into one fluid conception of the world. Its one major flaw was that it could not be proved or disproved at the time (due to the lack of technology to do so) while theories such as hylomorphism could be.

What did Democritus and Leucippus believe?

Both Democritus and his mentor Leucippus believed in a scientific rationalist philosophy, that is they believed that observation when coupled with reason was the best tool for understanding the world. Both men were also materialists, believing that everything occurred as controlled by natural laws. As a result, their thinking focused on the causes of an event. The alternative school of the time, led by Plato and Aristotle, were more concerned about the purpose or end result.

How did Aristotle respond to Democritus' theory?

Aristotle responded to Democritus' theory with what is known as hylomorphism. In hylomorphism there is no void, which means there can be no atoms. Instead , the universe is made up of raw components. These raw components have the potential to be formed into objects. Now this is different than atoms, where they are microscopic. For Aristotle, raw components could be of any size, and they could be made of raw components themselves. To put it into a more understandable form silicon can be the raw component to make a chip, which is its potential. A chip can be used in a computer, which is its potential. Then that computer can become the raw component when it is put into a network, which is its potential.

Who laid out the atomic theory?

This lesson will be an explanation of Atomic Theory as laid out by Democritus and his mentor Leucippus. It will also give a background for the theory and the contemporary response. Following the lesson you can test your knowledge with a quiz.

Who believed that everything is in a constant state of change?

There were two main schools of thought regarding the composition of the universe. The first was by Heraclitus and it believed that everything was in a constant state of change. He saw matter as moving through voids to constantly shape and reshape itself, like a house needing open air to be built or a seed needing a void to grow into. Basically, you need empty space in order for something to fill it, right?

What elements did Aristotle think were in the universe?

For Aristotle, the universe was composed of four elements - fire, water, earth, and wind - these were not atoms, nor were they made up of atoms. For him, all objects had one or more of those elements in them. To contemporaries, Aristotle made more sense. The Ancient Greeks didn't have the tools to test Democritus' theory, but Aristotle's idea was readily proven. Wood could be burned, therefore it was made of fire. A fruit could be dried therefore it was composed partially of water.

Life and Works

Atomist Doctrine

Theory of Perception

The Soul and The Nature of Living Things

• In common with other early ancient theories of living things,Democritus seems to have used the term psychêto referto that distinctive feature of living things that accounts for theirability to perform their life-functions. According to Aristotle,Democritus regarded the soul as composed of one kind of atom, inparticular fire atoms. This seems to hav...

See more on plato.stanford.edu

Theory of Knowledge

Indivisibility and Mathematics

Ethics

Anthropology