Chapter 6 : Democritus’s views on Soul
Democtritus, meaning ‘chosen of the people’, was a pre-Socratic Greek materialististic philosopher. He was also known as ‘the Laughing Philosopher’ because of his emphasis on the value of ‘cheerfulness.’ Democritus was a student of Leucippus and co-originator of the belief that all matter is made up of various imperishable, individual elements which he called as Atoms.
Democtritus had inherited wealth from his father and had travelled widely visiting Asia, Ethiopia, Babylone, Egypt and even India. He was actually proud of his travels and would boast himself as a widely travelled philosopher.
Aristoxenus wrote that Plato wanted to burn all the works of Democritus, but could not do so because the books were already in wide circulation. Failing this, he avoided any mention of Democritus in his own writings. Certainly, Socrates’ brand of argument might not have fared well against Democritus, who was described by Timon as "the guardian of discourse, a keen witted disputant". This statement paints Plato in a bad light and perhaps intellectuals are quite different from moral moorings. Still greatness of Plato could not be disputed.
Hermippus wrote that when Democritus was nearing his end, his sister was upset because his death could prevent her from worshipping at the three-day festival of Thesmophoria. Democritus told her not to worry, and kept himself alive by inhaling the fresh smell of baked loaves until the end of the festival, when he relinquished his life without pain. Hipparchus wrote that Democritus was then in his 109th year. It is said that at his advancing age he spent his days and nights in caverns and sepulchers, and that, in order to master his intellectual faculties, he blinded himself with burning glass. This story, however, is discredited by the writers who mention it insofar as they say he wrote books and dissected animals, neither of which could be done well without eyes.
The above is a brief life history of Democritus and let us dwell about his theories in general and soul in particular.
Aristoxenus wrote that Plato wanted to burn all the works of Democritus, but could not do so because the books were already in wide circulation. Failing this, he avoided any mention of Democritus in his own writings. Certainly, Socrates’ brand of argument might not have fared well against Democritus, who was described by Timon as "the guardian of discourse, a keen witted disputant". This statement paints Plato in a bad light and perhaps intellectuals are quite different from moral moorings. Still greatness of Plato could not be disputed.
Hermippus wrote that when Democritus was nearing his end, his sister was upset because his death could prevent her from worshipping at the three-day festival of Thesmophoria. Democritus told her not to worry, and kept himself alive by inhaling the fresh smell of baked loaves until the end of the festival, when he relinquished his life without pain. Hipparchus wrote that Democritus was then in his 109th year. It is said that at his advancing age he spent his days and nights in caverns and sepulchers, and that, in order to master his intellectual faculties, he blinded himself with burning glass. This story, however, is discredited by the writers who mention it insofar as they say he wrote books and dissected animals, neither of which could be done well without eyes.
The above is a brief life history of Democritus and let us dwell about his theories in general and soul in particular.
Democtritus is the first thinker on record to explain ‘the void’. According to him, he denied that the void can be equated with nothing. To him, void is vaccum. However, he had accepted the existence of only two things: Atom and Void.
In his own words, he explains atom and void thus: By convention there is sweet, by convention there is bitterness, by convention hot and cold, by convention color; but in reality there are only atoms and the void.
The void has, as it were, a spatial being. Democritus asserted that space, or the Void, had an equal right with reality, or Being, to be considered existent. He conceived of the Void as a vacuum, an infinite space in which moved an infinite number of atoms that made up Being i.e. the physical world.
These atoms are eternal and invisible; absolutely small, so small that their size cannot be diminished - hence the name atom, or "indivisible"; Atoms are absolutely full and incompressible, as they are without pores and entirely fill the space they occupy; and homogeneous, differing only in shape, arrangement, position, and magnitude.
These atoms are eternal and invisible; absolutely small, so small that their size cannot be diminished - hence the name atom, or "indivisible"; Atoms are absolutely full and incompressible, as they are without pores and entirely fill the space they occupy; and homogeneous, differing only in shape, arrangement, position, and magnitude.
According to Democritus, the soul is composed of such fine and spherical atoms. The shape of soul’s atom is spherical and as the soul is spherical, its nature is never to be still, but to move. In the process of its movement, it draws the whole body along with it and set it in motion. The soul atom is similar to fire atom: small, spherical, capable of penetrating sold bodies and spontaneous motion.
When the soul is disturbed, its motion affects the body in a violent way. On the other hand, when the soul is at rest, it regulates thoughts and actions harmoniously. Freedom from disturbance is the condition that causes human happiness, and this is the ethical goal. Democritus identifies the ultimate good as cheerfulness. That is the state in which the soul lives peacefully and tranquilly, undisturbed by fear or superstition or any other feeling.
Democritus argued that one’s own consciousness of right and wrong should prevent one from doing anything shameful, not the fear of breaking the law or being vilified by public opinion. He thought that most things in life could be set in order by an intelligent farsightedness. With regard to aesthetics he is said to have remarked that there is no poetry without madness.
In short, soul is atom, spherical in shape, fire in composition, cheerfulness in nature. On our next issue, we will be concentrating on the thoughts and theories about Soul and Mind as propunded by Socratis, Plato and Aristotle.
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