Ancient atomism
The world is made of indivisible particles, atoms, moving in the void
Key ideas
- Atoms are eternal, indivisible and differ in shape and arrangement
- Between the atoms there is void
- Everything happens by necessity, without design
- An answer to the Eleatics' denial of motion
Key thinkers
- Democritus — ancient Greek atomist philosopher, 460 BC–370 BC
Grew out of
- Eleatics c. 500 BC – 400 BC · Europe
What grew out of it
- Epicureanism c. 307 BC – 300 · Europe
Meanwhile elsewhere
- Confucianism Asia
- Buddhist philosophy Asia
- Mohism Asia
- Taoism Asia
- Legalism Asia