History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 009 - The Final Cut - Democritus And Leuccipus
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Nov 25, 2010 AI Snips
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Atomism Counters Eleatic Unity
- Ancient atomism emerged as a response to Parmenides' idea that everything is one and indivisible.
- Leucippus and Democritus proposed atoms as indivisible units that make up the many things we see.
Void: Essential Non-Being
- Atomists admitted void or nothingness as the space in which atoms move, opposing Eleatic denial of emptiness.
- Being consists of atoms; non-being consists of void, allowing motion and plurality against Eleatic monism.
Infinity of Atoms and Shapes
- Atoms are infinite in number and variety of shapes since no sufficient reason dictates any finite limits.
- This infinity underpins the diversity of visible bodies and the cosmos itself.