School · 490 BCE–100 BCE
Ancient atomism
Ancient atomists explained the world through indivisible bodies moving in void, pairing a physical account of compound things with arguments about perception, knowledge, and ethical composure.
Shared questions
- Can bodies and void explain generation, change, perception, and the apparent qualities of things?
Internal disagreements
- Whether atomist explanation leaves room for necessity alone, purposive order, or a reliable route from appearance to knowledge.
Key texts
- Fragments of Leucippus and Democritus — Nothing survives whole; the position is reconstructed from quotations and hostile summaries in later authors.