Leucippus

Philosopher, Physicist (5^th century BC)

Leucippus was one of the most important Pre-Socratic philosophers and the Father of the atomic theory. He founded the Atomic philosophic School in Abdera where he taught philosophy and physics. He was a contemporary of Democritus, who was his student and successor. Two of Leucippus’ works are known that contain his entire philosophy: The Great Cosmos (Μέγας Διάκοσμος) and On Nous. Even though only fragments of them survive, it is now known that Leucippus founded a very influential philosophy, which comprised of two scales: a scientific, containing his teachings on the theory of the atom as well as his cosmologic system, and a metaphysical one.

It is difficult to draw a distinguishing line between Leucippus’ and Democritus’ philosophy because it is not known to which philosopher belong certain contributions of the philosophy. Hence, their work is studied as one, even though Leucippus is commonly overshadowed by his student as far as concerning the atomic theory.

Leucippus was the first recorded in history to have spoken about the atom in a scientific manner. Prior to them, Thales of Miletus, Anaximander and Heraclitus believed that the primary elements that composed the world were the earthly elements. Leucippus asserted that the world was composed of an infinite number of particles, invisible to the human eye because of their small size, moving perpetually in the infinite, empty void. He called these particles “the atoms”. Their name means those that cannot be divided into smaller pieces, meaning the smallest unit of existence. Atoms cannot be destroyed or created. According to Leucippus the atoms formed the being, because of their solid nature, while the non-being, the void, was devoid of atoms and served as the place where the being moved. Leucippus asserted that the atoms had infinite shapes. Their differences are the reason for the differences in the size, shape and order of different objects. Atoms are constantly moving in the void because of an external force. When some of them collide, they combine with each other without coming into contact with one another thus forming complex objects and bodies. Leucippus believed that atoms had weight.

The cosmologic system presented in Democritus’ Mikros Diacosmos is believed to have been introduced by Leucippus in his book Megas Diakosmos and then developed by Democritus himself. The book deals not only with the atomic theory, but also with the creation of worlds and their destruction, as well as the existence of parallel worlds. It is not exactly clear what the philosophers meant with the term world. Leucippus and Democritus explain that the universe is infinite. It consists of the whole and the void, both of which constitute the elements. Infinite parallel worlds exist dissolved in the elements. When an unlimited number of atoms of different shapes are carried from the infinite to the void of empty space, they collect and form a vortex where they spin chaotically until they can no longer spin. Bodies with different weight divide from each other with the lighter ones going outside and the heavier ones collecting inside, forming the core. Thus, a sphere is created, which grows larger by the influx of atoms that it adds to itself. This is how worlds, according to Leucippus and Democritus, are created. They then explain about the creation of the stars, the solar systems and their destruction back to atoms and void, the characteristics of such cosmological systems as well as various celestial phenomena of our solar system. Modern science has vindicated the philosophers’ cosmological system in many points.

Leucippus introduced the principle of causality, according to which nothing happens without a cause (ἀνάγκη). In the Leucippean – Democritean cosmological systems everything happens because of necessity. Worlds and beings are created on the unification of atoms and are destroyed when atoms are separated from each other. Only atoms, the void and the primary elements exist in reality. Everything else is nothing more than an illusion which we perceive as reality with our senses. Materials are not actually solid. They are shadows which we decode as materials. Therefore, truth, as the two philosophers claimed, comes not from our senses, but from the mind.

The atomic school’s philosophy was very daring for its time, way ahead of many other theories on the creation of the world and the architecture of reality. Perhaps one day in the distant future, Leucippus’ and Democritus’ theories may be proven scientifically correct.

Bibliography

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3. Georgakopoulos, Konstantinos. Ancient Greek Scientists. Athens: Georgiades, 1995. Print.
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