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Democritus: Theory
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Although the evidence is not certain, Democritus may be the originator of an ancient theory about the historical development of human communities. In contrast to the Hesiodic view that the human past included a golden age from which the present day is a decline, an alternative tradition that may derive from Democritus suggests that human life was originally like that of animals; it describes the gradual development of human communities for purposes of mutual aid, the origin of language, crafts and agriculture. Although the text in question does not mention Democritus by name, he is the most plausible source (Cole 1967; Cartledge 1997).
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Democritus, c.460-c.370 BC, a Greek philosopher, developed and systematized classical atomism, a theory credited to his teacher Leucippus. The theory postulated a world made up of hard, indivisible (hence atomic, from Greek atoma, "uncuttable") particles of matter moving through empty space.
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Democritus was born in Abdera, the leading Greek city on the northern coast of the Aegean Sea. Although the ancient accounts of Democritus's career differ widely, they all agree that he lived to a ripe old age, 90 being the lowest figure. During that long career Democritus wrote many books. Little Cosmology, a veritable encyclopedia, has perished because its contents displeased those, such as the philosopher Plato, whose decisions determined which works should be preserved. Of all of Democritus's many-sided interests, his espousal of the atomic theory accounts for his renown and ... for the disappearance of the treatises which won him that renown.
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Democritus of Abdera (ca 460 - 370 BC) is best known for his atomic theory. He believed that: "...space, or the Void, had an equal right with reality to be considered existent. He thought of the Void as a vacuum in which moved an infinite number of atoms
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Democritus of Abdera is best known for his atomic theory of the universe, but ... made significant contributions to the study of geometry. Not much is known of his life, but rather extensive knowledge remains about his philosophies.
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Democritus is best known for his theory that all matter is composed of tiny particles, so small that nothing smaller was possible. He called them atoms, a word which means "indivisible", and maintaining that there was a void between the atoms.
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