Democritus short biography (460 - 360 BC)
Democritus quotes.
Democritus of Abdera was an ancient Greek philosopher. Born into a noble family. Traveled through Egypt, Persia, India, Ethiopia. Avmop 50 treatises. According to his theory, only atoms and emptiness exist. Atoms are indivisible material elements (geometric bodies, “figures”), eternal, indestructible, impenetrable, differ in shape, position in emptiness, size; moving in different directions, from their “vortices” both individual bodies and all countless worlds are formed. Atoms are invisible to humans; the outflows from them, acting on the sense organs, cause sensations. In ethics he developed the doctrine (the doctrine of Democritus) about atharxia. In total, he wrote about 70 essays on moral, natural science, mathematical, and technical topics. The most famous among them are “Pythagoras”, “On the spiritual mood of a sage”, “On courage or virtue”, “Small world building”, “On nature”, “On human nature”, “On poetry”.
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Aphorisms and quotes from Democritus
Democritus of Abdera (approximately 460 BC - 370 BC) Ancient Greek materialist philosopher, one of the founders of atomism.
Born in the city of Abdera in Thrace. Throughout his life he traveled a lot, studying the philosophical views of many peoples (Egypt, Babylon, Persia, India, etc.). Possessing encyclopedic knowledge, he became one of the pioneers of such sciences as mathematics and geometry. All the works of Democritus that have survived to this day are collected in the book “Fragments and Evidence of the Teaching.”
Poverty and wealth are words for need and abundance. Therefore, whoever is in need is not rich, and whoever is not in need is not poor.
The blessings of youth are strength and beauty, the blessings of old age are the flowering of intelligence.
Good and truth are the same for everyone, but the pleasures from them may be different.
He is prudent who does not grieve about what he does not have, but, on the contrary, is glad about what he has.
A father's prudence is the most effective instruction for children.
Rich is he who is poor in desires.
To be faithful to duty in adversity is a great thing.
To be a good person means not only not to do injustice, but also not to desire it.
Generosity is to meekly endure the mistakes of others.
The crown of justice is courage of spirit and fearlessness of thought, while the limit of injustice is fear of threatening misfortune.
Raising children is a risky business. For in the case of success, the latter was acquired at the cost of great labor and care, but in the case of failure, the grief is not comparable to any other.
Education is an adornment in happiness and a refuge in misfortune.
The enemy is not the one who causes offense, but the one who does it deliberately.
Enmity with relatives is much more painful than with strangers.
The highest virtue of spirit is to meekly endure insults.
Misfortune teaches fools to be prudent.
Fools strive for the benefits that come from good fortune, while those who know the value of such benefits strive for the benefits that come from wisdom.
Two types of knowledge: one through feelings, the other through thoughts.
He who does something shameful must first of all be ashamed of himself.
One must tell the truth and avoid verbosity.
An unjust act must be prevented. If we are unable to do this, then at least we should not contribute to an unjust act.
You should be ashamed of yourself as of other people, and equally not to do anything bad, whether it remains unknown to anyone or everyone knows about it. But most of all you should be ashamed of yourself.
Spiritual joy arises in people due to moderation in pleasures and a measured life. Deficiency or excess is prone to instability and causes great unrest in the soul.
Even if you are alone with yourself, do not say or do anything bad. Learn to be much more ashamed of yourself than of others.
If someone neglects public affairs, he acquires a bad reputation, even if he does not steal anything or commit any injustice at all.
If you can give a gift, then do not hesitate to do so, remembering that circumstances are changeable.
If you go too far, the most pleasant things will become the most unpleasant.
Greed for money, if it is insatiable, is much more painful than need, for the more desires grow, the more needs they generate.
Wanting more leads to losing what you have.
Anyone who wants to be in a good mood should not take on many things, either in his private life or in his public life, and whatever he does, he should not strive beyond his strength and his nature.
Life without holidays is a long journey without visiting the yard.
To live badly, unreasonably, intemperately does not mean to live badly, but to die slowly.
An envious person causes grief to himself, as if to his enemy.
Envy creates discord among people.
The law reveals its beneficial effect only to those who obey it.
Laws are useless for both good people and bad people. The former do not need laws, the latter do not get better from them.
Laws are a bad invention.
Smell is the outflow of the subtle from the heavy.
From wisdom come the following three characteristics: making the right decisions, speaking correctly and doing what should be done.
Only misfortunes teach fools prudence.
It's better to think before you act than after.
It is better to expose your own mistakes than those of others.
It is better for someone else to praise us than to praise ourselves.
People have invented the idol of chance in order to use it as an excuse to cover up their own recklessness.
Small services rendered on time are the greatest benefits to those who receive them.
Medicine is the sister of philosophy.
Many of the rich are custodians, not owners, of their wealth.
Many know-it-alls have no intelligence.
Many who commit the most shameful acts speak beautiful speeches.
There can be smart young men and stupid old men. For it is not time that teaches us to think, but early education and nature.
The sage is the measure of all existing things. With the help of the senses he is the measure of perceptible things, and with the help of reason he is the measure of intelligible things.
Courageous is not only the one who defeats his enemies, but also the one who dominates his passions. Some reign over cities and at the same time are slaves of women.
Courage makes the blows of fate insignificant.
Hopes for shameful gain are the beginning of loss.
The worst thing young people can learn is frivolity. For the latter gives rise to those pleasures from which vice develops.
Not making any concessions to life is a sign of recklessness.
Not out of fear, but out of a sense of duty, one must refrain from bad deeds.
Do not distrust everyone, but be careful and firm with everyone.
It is not words, but misfortune that is the teacher of fools.
Don’t strive to know everything, lest you end up ignorant of everything.
Untimely pleasures give rise to displeasures.
You need to worry only about the moderate acquisition of material resources and direct your main efforts to what is truly necessary.
Education is an adornment for the happy, and a refuge for the unhappy.
General need is worse than private need: for in case of general need there is no hope of help.
When providing a benefit, be careful that the one to whom you are providing a benefit does not treacherously repay you with evil for the benefit.
Give up all pleasure that is not useful.
Frank speech is a characteristic of a free spirit, but it is dangerous to choose the wrong moment for it.
Just as there is a disease of the body, there is also a disease of the lifestyle.
The habits of fathers, both bad and good, turn into the vices of children.
It is a sign of intelligence to prevent an offense, but not to respond to an offense is a sign of insensitivity.
The reason for the error is ignorance of the best.
A pleasant old man who is friendly and serious.
Repentance for shameful deeds is the salvation of life.
The best thing for a person is to spend life in the most joyful mood possible.
I consider someone to be free who hopes for nothing and fears nothing.
Strength and beauty are the blessings of youth, but the advantage of old age is the flowering of prudence.
Fame and wealth without reason are fragile possessions.
One should strive not for any joy, but for that which is associated with beauty.
The word is the shadow of the deed.
Courage is the beginning of a matter, but chance is the master of the end.
Justice is fulfilling one's duty, injustice is not doing what one should, evading (from fulfilling one's duties).
The old man has already been young, but the young man does not know whether he will reach old age.
Fear gives rise to flattery, but it has no goodwill.
Money-grubbers work like bees, as if they will live forever.
Happy is not the one who is rich, but the one who does not need wealth.
Happy is the one who is not sad about what he does not have, and, on the contrary, is glad about what he has.
Happy is he who, with little means, enjoys a good mood; Unhappy is the one who, despite having a lot of money, does not have spiritual joy.
Happiness and unhappiness are in the soul.
Happiness does not live in herds or gold. The soul is the residence of this demon.
Happiness is a good mood, well-being, harmony, symmetry and equanimity.
The bodily beauty of a person is something bestial if the mind is not hidden under it.
Only that love is fair that strives for the beautiful without causing offense.
Anyone who is inclined to contradict and talk a lot is not able to learn what is needed.
For all those who indulge in the pleasures of the stomach and go beyond the proper limit in food, wine or in the pleasures of love, the pleasures are short-term and fleeting, lasting only as long as they eat and drink; the suffering resulting from this intemperance is numerous and long-lasting.
Those who have an orderly character have a well-ordered life.
Having learned a secret from a friend, do not betray it by becoming an enemy: you will strike not the enemy, but the friendship.
The adornment of women is silence; The simplicity of the outfit is also commendable.
The ability to protect yourself from threatening injustice is a sign of intelligence, but the reluctance to repay for the offense caused is a sign of insensitivity.
Moderation increases the joys of life and makes pleasure even greater.
It is wonderful to praise for good deeds, but to glorify for bad deeds is the work of an evil person and a deceiver.
An honest and dishonest person is known not only by what they do, but by what they desire.
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Socio-political views
In ancient, and not only ancient, teachings, social views are so closely intertwined with ethical ones that it is often impossible to separate them. In addition, Democritus' ethics and social philosophy are closely connected with his philosophy of nature. The basis of his social philosophy was the ancient theory of natural law, which had a democratic character: by nature, all people are equal, and their natural aspirations are equally legitimate, and the law must follow nature.
The socio-political views of Democritus were formed during the period of the struggle of the rising Greek democracy - enterprising traders, artisans, sailors, as well as peasants - against the clan aristocracy and the Persian monarchy, and then against the rich oligarchs. He justified the fight against the Persians not only by the need to protect the homeland from foreign enslavement, but also by the socio-political factor: “Poverty in a democratic state must be preferred to what is called a happy life in a monarchy, just as much as freedom is better than slavery” (13, 596) . Democritus' statement about a democratic state throws light on his political views. Abdera, whose citizen and patriot was Democritus, was part of the Athenian Maritime League. The saying confirms the fact that union membership at the time of its inception was not felt as unfreedom. Sources indicate that, for at least some time, Athens was for the allies, especially the smaller cities, a bastion of democracy and a defender in the fight against the Persian monarchy and local aristocrats. Athens undoubtedly defended its allied cities from pirates of the Aegean Sea.
According to the ethical teaching of Democritus, a ruler who rules over others must first rule over himself (see ibid., 618). This is the ideal ruler Pericles in the image of Protagoras, and the words that a just ruler, under the current order, risks subsequently being subjected to revenge from the citizens he punishes (see ibid., 613), recalls the events of 430, when Pericles was subjected to heavy accusations and a trial persecution (see 19, 2, 65). On the other hand, the “recklessness and impudence” of some officials (see ibid., 614; 616; 689) suggests the image of the leader of radical democracy and the enemy of Pericles Cleon, as portrayed by Thucydides. Indeed, a citizen of the union state, Democritus, could not sympathize with Cleon, who doubled the size of the allies, and also proposed to execute all Mytileneans and residents of Skiona after the uprisings (see ibid., 36-42). It was noted that in the famous praise of Athenian democracy in the speech of Pericles by Thucydides (see ibid., 37-42), some phrases about the inherent equality of the poor with the rich, the unity of public and private interests and the ability of citizens to engage in both their own and public deeds resemble the statements of Democritus (see 13, 596; 595; 612). From all this we can conclude that Democritus, who spent several years in Athens, was an ideologist of a democratic polis like Periclean Athens and, apparently, a supporter of the Athenian state, although not unconditionally.
The existing fragments preserve some of the legislative proposals and advice of Democritus. He demanded to change the existing procedure for replacing elected officials in order to protect a just ruler from the revenge of those punished by him. He condemned flattery and servility to those in power and formulated a number of moral postulates in relation to people elected by the people and people in power (see ibid., 611-619). We have already seen that, despite the preference given to nature, Democritus, like most Greek thinkers of the classical period, recognized the law of the polis. However, it can be assumed that, emphasizing the importance of conscience in morality, he dreamed of a society in which coercive laws would become unnecessary; they will be replaced by moral laws. And therefore, “the one who educates in virtue through conviction and the arguments of reason will turn out to be better than the one who applies law and coercion.” This, according to Democritus, corresponds to human psychology, for “he who abstains from injustice only by obeying the law will probably sin in secret” (ibid., 607). As for religious fear, as a guarantee of morality and justice, Democritus (unlike the sophist oligarch Critias, who considered religion a means of influencing people) did not believe in it. “Bad people make oaths to the gods,” as he wittily noted, “only when they are in a hopeless situation. When they got rid of it, they still do not observe them” (ibid., 791).
A sense of duty and conscience can be developed in people, Democritus believed, in the process of education, in which “teaching reveals nature,” and “natural abilities, exercise and time” serve to educate a person (see 13, 682 et seq.). And Democritus’s saying about the educational role of work sounds truly modern: “Without the habit of work, children will not learn writing, music, gymnastics, or, finally, that which most constitutes virtue - the ability to be ashamed; for in these activities shyness usually comes to a person” (ibid., 692).
But what laws, what social orders did Democritus stand for? Judging by the existing sayings, it stood mainly on the basis of a classical, polis, and democratic organization, which presupposed economic, social and political solidarity of full members of the civil collective. Idealizing the polis, Democritus expressed remarkable words about the strength and significance of the human collective: “... a state following the right path is the greatest support. And this is everything: when it is in prosperity, everything is in prosperity, when it perishes, everything perishes” (ibid., 595). Therefore, he repeatedly and decisively spoke out against the cruelty, dishonesty and acquisitiveness of the rich, against their stinginess and insatiable desire for money, against wealth in general (see ibid., 626-632; 637-643a), he sympathized with the plight of the poor (see ibid. same, 657; 678). However, Democritus does not advocate a transformation of society. His calls for modesty and moderation, addressed to the poor (see ibid., 651-657a), could also play the most reactionary role as a preacher of patience and class peace. And yet the social philosophy of Democritus is not hypocritical, unlike the Christian and bourgeois ones.
Democritus demanded from everyone to limit their needs to what is necessary (a guarantee of euthymia), and especially harshly from the rich and educated (wise men). He expressed the idea that, in essence, it is possible to completely manage not only without gold and without herds, but also without slaves - this is not necessary for happiness (see ibid., 780; 781). And if fate nevertheless gave a person wealth beyond what was necessary, then it must be spent for the benefit of the people (see ibid., 633; 636). Finally, he believed that a person’s happiness does not depend on his origin, class, or wealth, but only on his mind. This was the ideology of the advanced ancient democracy of the heyday, the time when a number of progressive reforms of Pericles (and before that Solon and Cleisthenes) forced the rich to “share” with the poor, when the state widely helped citizens at public expense, and the rich and noble were subject to proportionate property taxes - “liturgy”; slavery had not yet fully developed.
How did Democritus feel about slavery? Was a deep and advanced scientist, materialist and atheist really a supporter of slavery? Such an opinion is usually based on one single phrase: “Use servants as members of your body, using one of them for one task, the other for another” (13, 710). But here we are talking not so much about slaves in the proper sense of the word (duloi), but about slaves - domestic servants (oiketai), whom Democritus figuratively advises to use according to their qualifications.
According to Democritus, all people are equal by nature. His closest follower, the sophist Antiphon, said: “By nature, we are all built the same in everything - both barbarians and Hellenes... we all breathe air through our mouth and nose and eat with our hands” (quoted from: 45, 63). An Abderite, a neighbor of the Thracians, Democritus could not help but understand that previously free people became slaves, and the Greeks themselves often fell into slavery. Therefore, Democritus said: “Those who take pleasure in the misfortunes of their neighbors do not understand that changes in fate can affect everyone...” (13, 678). The contempt for political slavery expressed in his famous saying (about the preference for poverty in a democratic state) could well apply to any slavery in general. In the pseudo-Hippocratic novel, the following words were attributed to Democritus in letters: “And he (i.e., man) is not ashamed to call himself happy, while he digs the depths of the earth with the hands of people chained in chains, some of whom die under the collapse of layers of too loose earth and others , subordinated for many years to this necessity, remain in this place of punishment as in their homeland” (15, 354). Legend says that Democritus bought Diagoras of Melia from slavery and made him a philosopher (see 13, XXVI). Finally, another source indirectly speaks about Democritus’s attitude towards slavery. Eustathius, in his commentary to the Odyssey, reports: “This noble slave Eumaeus aroused such respect among the ancients that they undertook research about his mother. Democritus called her Penia...” (ibid., 819).
Already from the 5th century. in Greece there are voices against slavery. The Sophists, Socratics, Euripides, and then, starting from the 4th century, almost all the most prominent philosophers opposed slavery (see 43, 73). The teachings of Democritus opened the way for progressive legislative innovations and social changes. For, as he said, the law “should not interfere with people’s lives” (13, 570).
Democritus highly valued friendship and left a number of sayings about true and false friendship (see ibid., 658-672). He did not at all deny, as is often believed, family and love. Indeed, Democritus advised the sage better not to have his own children, since they could be unsuccessful and distract him from scientific pursuits. But he wrote about parental and filial love, which is characteristic of people (see ibid., 562). And although, as a true inhabitant of the eastern city, he did not value woman very highly, in one of the sayings he for the first time contrasted love (beloved) with simple eros (see ibid., 707 and 74, 491).
Democritus, we know, traveled a lot. The catchphrase is attributed to him: “The whole earth is open to the sage, for the whole world is the homeland for the high spirit” (13, 730). Some, on the basis of this statement, call Democritus a “cosmopolitan.” Democritus was the “Patriot” of his hometown, this was the nickname he was given, and he confirmed it with his whole life. But he stepped beyond the narrow boundaries of the polis, he is interested in the world, science, morals and people of other countries, and wisdom, in his opinion, allows a person to feel free everywhere.
Many of Democritus's statements sound to us as outdated or unacceptable. But overall his views are deeply impressive. From the depths of centuries, “idols” from the treasury of his thoughts bring us the image of the old, wise Democritus, who, although he laughed at the stupidity of people, loved and respected them. And maybe he, too, was already dreaming about what Maxim Gorky is talking about: “Will people ever learn, if not to understand, then at least silently respect each other? Will they ever understand that apart from humanity there is nothing interesting in the world and that only man is the measure of things and the creator of life?
