Democritus
Greek philosopher (c. 460–c. 370 BC) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Democritus (disambiguation).
Democritus (/dɪˈmɒkrɪtəs/, dim-OCK-rit-əs; Greek: Δημόκριτος, Dēmókritos, meaning "chosen of the people"; c. 460 – c. 370 BC) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Abdera, primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe.[2]
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Democritus | |
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Born | c. 460 BC |
Died | c. 370 BC |
Era | Pre-Socratic philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
School | Atomism |
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None of Democritus' original work has survived, except through second-hand references. Many of these references come from Aristotle, who viewed him as an important rival in the field of natural philosophy.[3] He was known in antiquity as the ‘laughing philosopher’ because of his emphasis on the value of cheerfulness.[4]