Democritus on atomic theory

Democritus who was born circa 460 BCE in Abdera, Thrace, Greece, is certainly posterior to Empedocles and Anaxagoras both about 500 BC, both whom also have an atomic theory to their account. Democritus was the student of Leucippus.

Democritus and his mentor, proposed the first physical theory involving atoms.

Ancient atomic theory is relatively similar to modern atomic theory. Democritus introduced the hypotheses about the properties of atom:
*They are infinite in number, qualitatively absolutely identical, and distinct only by shape and size.
*Motion is a primitive property of atoms. Like the atoms themselves, it is eternal and incorruptible. Hence the atoms are ceaselessly in motion, this motion van be changed by pressure and percussion.

Democritus based his notions of atomic theory almost purely on conjecture and speculation as he had no way of observing atomic phenomena.

He believed that perceptions could be inaccurate but the action of atoms was understandable and lawful; it just was not perceptible.

Similar ideas about atoms also arose in India around the same time, though it was Democritus who came up with the term ‘atoms’.

Democritus had a number of followers during his lifetimes and after his death. The most important was Epicurus, who founded a school of philosophy in Athens.

Epicurus’s chief interests were in ethics but the physical theory in which his entire philosophical system rested was Leucippus and Democritus’s atomic theory with a few modifications.

Epicurus’s atomics was revived in the 17th century by Descartes opponent Gassendi and in the 18th century it was common ground that matter was composed of ultimate units are hard, unchanging and endowed with shape and weight.

It was not until eighteenth and early nineteenth century that’s scientific advances allowed researches such as John Dalton to test Democritus’s atomic theory.
Democritus on atomic theory