Democritus · Philosophy

Atoms and the Void

Democritus’ revolutionary theory that all of reality is built from countless tiny, indestructible, indivisible bodies - atoms - moving through empty space, and that everything we see is just atoms in different arrangements.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Democritus held all reality to consist of atoms - tiny, solid, indivisible, indestructible bodies - moving in the void (empty space), and that everything that exists is just these atoms combining, separating, and rearranging. Explain his theory of atoms and the void in your own words.

Leads to Parmenides.

epoché — a humanities education that remembers you.