Democritus · Philosophy

Necessity and Chance

Democritus’ uncompromising claim that nothing happens at random but everything by <em>necessity</em> - that the whole world, gods aside, is a vast mechanism of atoms colliding, with no purpose, no design, and no providence guiding it.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Democritus held everything to happen by necessity : the atoms collide and combine by blind mechanical law, with no purpose, no design, and no gods steering the world. Nothing is for the sake of anything. Explain his mechanistic determinism in your own words.

Leads to Aristotle.

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