Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of philosophical atomism and the atomic theory of the universe. Here are some of his key discoveries:
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Atomic Theory: Democritus suggested that all matter was formed of different types of tiny discrete particles, which he called "atomos," the Greek word for indivisible. He believed that atoms were tiny, uncuttable, solid particles that were surrounded by empty space and constantly moving at random. He also thought that atoms were specific to the material which they composed, differed in size and shape, and were in constant motion in a void.
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Void: To account for the worlds changing physical phenomena, 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) .
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Perception and Knowledge: Democritus devoted considerable attention to perception and knowledge. He asserted, for example, that sensations are changes produced in the soul by atoms emitted from other objects that impinge on it; the atoms of the soul can be affected only by the contact of other atoms.
Although Democritus theory was remarkable, it was rejected by Aristotle, one of the most influential philosophers of Ancient Greece, and the atomic theory was ignored for nearly 2,000 years. Nonetheless, Democritus ideas laid the foundation for the development of modern atomic theory.