Democritus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Democritus
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| Born | c. 460 BC |
| Died | c. 370 BC |
| Era | Pre-Socratic philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Atomism |
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Main interests
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Notable ideas
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Influences
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Democritus (/dɪˈmɒkrɪtəs/; Greek: Δημόκριτος, Dēmókritos, meaning "chosen of the people"; c. 460 – c. 370 BC) was an Ancient Greek thinker. He was a pre-Socratic philosopher from Abdera. He is best known today for his idea that everything is made of tiny particles called atoms. Sadly, none of his original writings have survived.
Contents
Who Was Democritus?
Democritus was a very important philosopher from ancient Greece. He lived a long time ago, around 460 to 370 BC. He came from a city called Abdera in Thrace.
His Life Story
We don't know many true stories about Democritus's life. Most tales about him are probably not accurate. People say he was born in Abdera, a Greek city. It is also said that he lived to be very old, perhaps even over 100 years!
His Big Ideas: Philosophy and Science
Democritus worked closely with his teacher, Leucippus. It's sometimes hard to tell which ideas came from Democritus and which came from Leucippus. But together, they developed some amazing theories.
The Idea of Atoms
Democritus believed that everything in the world is made of tiny, tiny pieces. He called these pieces "atoms." He thought atoms were so small that you couldn't divide them into anything smaller.
He also believed that atoms are:
- Always moving.
- Indestructible, meaning they can't be destroyed.
- Infinite in number, meaning there are endless amounts of them.
- Different in shape and size.
Democritus thought that the shape of atoms affected how solid a material was. For example, he imagined that atoms might have hooks and eyes, or balls and sockets, to connect with each other. This was his way of explaining how different materials are formed.
The Empty Space (Void)
Democritus also believed that there was empty space between atoms. He called this empty space the "void." This idea was very important because other philosophers at the time argued that empty space couldn't exist.
However, Democritus and his followers saw that things move. If things move, there must be empty space for them to move into. So, they decided that the void must exist, even if it was "nothing." This idea helped explain how movement was possible.
Democritus thought the universe started with just tiny atoms moving around in a messy way. They bumped into each other and eventually formed bigger things, like Earth and everything on it. He even thought there could be many other worlds out there! Some worlds might be growing, others might be falling apart. He believed every world has a beginning and an end.
Thoughts on Ethics and Society
Democritus also had ideas about how people should live. He shared many short sayings about being good and living a happy life. It's a bit tricky to understand all his ethical views because we only have small pieces of his writings.
Democritus and Math
Democritus was also good at mathematics, especially geometry. He was one of the first to figure out an important rule:
- A cone or a pyramid has one-third the volume of a cylinder or prism if they have the same base and height.
This was a big discovery for his time! Some historians even think he might have been an early thinker about calculus, which is a very advanced type of math.
How Humans Began
Democritus had ideas about how early humans lived. He thought they first lived like animals, finding food on their own. But they soon realized they needed to stick together to be safe from wild animals.
He believed that early humans didn't have a language at first. But slowly, they started making sounds and symbols to understand each other. He thought they learned everything through trial and error. They learned to find shelter, store food, and build on new ideas.
Thinking About Art
Democritus was also interested in art and poetry. He wrote about aesthetics, which is the study of beauty and art. He was one of the first to think about these topics in a serious way. We only have small parts of his writings on art, so we don't know all his thoughts.
What Happened to His Writings?
Democritus wrote many books, but sadly, none of them have survived completely. We only know about his ideas because other ancient writers mentioned them. Some of his sayings were collected by later scholars.
His Lasting Impact
Even though his books are lost, Democritus had a huge impact. It's said that another famous philosopher, Plato, didn't like Democritus's ideas so much that he wanted to burn all his books! But Democritus was well-known to Aristotle, another very important Greek philosopher. Democritus also taught Protagoras, who became a famous thinker himself. His ideas about atoms were truly groundbreaking and influenced many thinkers after him.
See Also
Christopher Charles Whiston Taylor 
In Spanish: Demócrito para niños
- Atom
- John Dalton
- Democritus University of Thrace
- Kanada
- Mochus
- National Centre of Scientific Research "DEMOKRITOS"
- Pseudo-Democritus
- Vaisheshika
Images for kids
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Democritus thought about how a cone's cross-section would look.
