A critical history of Greek philosophyStace, W. T. (Walter Terence)
Philosophy
A critical history of Greek philosophy
Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)
Philosophy, Ancient
derived from position and arrangement of particles, but that all
quality whatever is founded upon position and arrangement. All
becoming is explained by Empedocles as the result of motion of
material particles. To bring this mechanical philosophy to its logical
conclusion, all qualitativeness of things must be explained in the
same way. Hence it was impossible that the philosophy of mechanism and
materialism should stand still in the position in which Empedocles
left it. It had to advance to the position of Atomism. The Atomists,
therefore, maintain the essential position of Empedocles, after
eliminating the inconsistencies which we have just noted. The
philosophy of Empedocles is therefore to be considered as merely
transitional in character.
First, the Atomists developed the theory of particles. According to
Leucippus and Democritus, if matter were divided far enough, we should
ultimately come to indivisible units. These indivisible units are
called atoms, and atoms are therefore the ultimate constituents of
matter. They are infinite in number, and are too small to be
perceptible to the senses. Empedocles had assumed four different kinds
of matter. But, for the Atomists, there is only one kind. All the
atoms are composed of exactly the same kind of matter. With certain
exceptions, which I will mention in a moment, they possess no quality.
They are entirely non-qualitative, the only differences between them
being differences of quantity. They differ in size, some being larger,
some smaller. And they likewise differ in shape. Since the ultimate
particles of things thus possess no quality, all the actual qualities
of objects must be due to the {89} arrangement and position of the
atoms. This is the logical development of the tentative mechanism of
Empedocles.
I said that the atoms possess no qualities. They must, however, be
admitted to possess the quality of solidity, or impenetrability, since
they are defined as being indivisible. Moreover it is a question
whether the atoms of Democritus and Leucippus were thought to possess
weight, or whether the weight of objects is to be explained, like
other qualities, by the position and movement of the atoms. There is
no doubt that the Epicureans of a later date considered the atoms to
have weight. The Epicureans took over the atomism of Democritus and
Leucippus, with few modifications, and made it the basis of their own
teaching. They ascribed weight to the atoms, and the only question is
whether this was a modification introduced by them, or whether it was
part of the original doctrine of Democritus and Leucippus.
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