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] . Democritus wrote extensively on a wide variety of topics. [3]

Mar 31, 2025 · Democritus, ancient Greek philosopher, a central figure in the development of philosophical atomism and of the atomic theory of the universe. His works reportedly numbered 73, though only a few hundred fragments have survived, mostly from his treatises on ethics.

Aug 15, 2004 · Democritus, known in antiquity as the ‘laughing philosopher’ because of his emphasis on the value of ‘cheerfulness,’ was one of the two founders of ancient atomist theory. He elaborated a system originated by his teacher Leucippus into …

Democritus, who did not want children, argued that people should be free to choose for themselves whether or not to raise families. Democritus regarded the freedom of the individual as more important than the needs of the state.

May 26, 2021 · Democritus (l. c. 460 - c. 370 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and younger contemporary of Socrates, born in Abdera (though other sources cite Miletus) who, with his teacher Leucippus (l. 5th century BCE), was the first to propose an atomic universe.

Oct 29, 2019 · Democritus of Abdera (ca. 460–361) was a pre-socratic Greek philosopher who traveled widely as a youth and developed a philosophy and some rather forward-looking ideas about how the universe worked. He was a bitter rival of both Plato and Aristotle.

Mar 6, 2025 · Democritus of Abdera was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher best known for developing the atomic theory of the universe. While he has become known in the history of philosophy as the “Laughing Philosopher”, he was a prolific thinker whose works covered ethics, mathematics, physics, and cosmology.

Democritus , (born c. 460—died c. 370 bc), Greek philosopher. Though only a few fragments of his work survive, he was apparently the first to describe invisible “atoms” as the basis of all matter.

Jun 4, 2024 · Democritus was a renowned Ancient Greek philosopher who is respected by many modern scientists and scholars for formulating the most accurate early atomic theory of the universe.

May 29, 2018 · The Greek natural philosopher Democritus (ca. 494-ca. 404 B.C.) promulgated the atomic theory, which asserted that the universe is composed of two elements: the atoms and the void in which they exist and move.