Democritus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democritus - Assignment Example Atoms and void alone exist in reality.† The Democritus theory of reality posits that atoms consist of an indivisible number of units. Additionally, atoms have different shapes and sizes but lack quality. The only qualities of an atom include solidity and impenetrability. Atoms are infinite in number thus they move in the void. The concept of the void is very interesting because it has attracted mixed interpretations. According to Parmenides, there is no reality of space. On the other hand, Pythagoreans acknowledged the idea that the void keeps units apart. However, they noted that the void was the atmospheric air. Democritus’ theory of reality affirms that space is not real and that it does not exist. In fact, the theory posits that â€Å"what is not† is real just like â€Å"what is.† Space or void is as real as the body. One important point about the Democritus theory of reality is that space or void is not corporeal. The other major point of the Democritus theory of reality is that there is no place for immortality. According to the philosophy of atomism, the life of an animal or a human being only exists when atoms exist and operate collectively in the form of a body. It implies that the destruction of the body ultimately results in the destruction of the soul. For this reason, the soul cannot survive when the body has been destroyed. The reason is that the destruction of the body results in the atoms getting scattered. Democritus cautions that atoms do not cease to be because no atom can neither come into being nor pass away. Instead, atoms cannot survive individually because they become inert when they are separated from each other. In relation to the idea of atomism and soul, the Democritus theory of reality posits that animals and humans are not different from other composite bodies. The popular belief is that humans are different from rocks because humans can move and think. However, Democritus posits that thinking is a