DEMOCRITUS

TWO FOUR

GROUP 1

Abesamis

Buenaventura

Castro

Chico

"If you to break a piece of matter in half, and then break it in half again, how many breaks will you have to make before you can break it no further?"

Democritus ("chosen of the people") was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in Abdera, Thrace, Greece. He died ca. 360-370 BC (Aged 90-109)

Era Pre-Socratic philosophy

Region Western Philosophy

School Pre-Socratic philosophy

Main interests metaphysics / mathematics / astronomy

Notable ideas atomism, distant star theory
He was an influential pre-Socratic philosopher who formulated an atomic theory for the cosmos. He has been commonly known as "The Laughing Philosopher". Democritus was nevertheless well-known to his fellow northern-born philosopher Aristotle.

Some scholars believe that Democritus' atomic theory was not really his own. But that of his teacher Leucippus of Miletus.

Democritus proposed the "billiard ball model". The reason behind his proposal is that he wanted to know the solidness of the material corresponded to the shape of the atoms involved. Aristotle modified an earlier theory that matter was made of four elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Democritus believed that atoms were small, hard and indivisible particles. And that atoms can be joined, but not broken. He also believed that the interior of an atom is empty.

John Dalton further examined his theory.