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Leucippus

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description Leucippus Overview

Leucippus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher of the 5th century BCE credited as the originator of atomism, the theory that all matter consists of indivisible particles called atoms moving through void. Virtually no biographical information about him survives, and his teachings are known primarily through the writings of his student Democritus and later commentators including Aristotle. He is most commonly associated with the city of Abdera in northern Greece.

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What philosophical theory is Leucippus credited with founding?

Leucippus is traditionally credited as the founder of atomism, the theory that all of reality consists of indivisible, eternal particles called 'atoms' moving through empty space. This idea was later developed and systematized by his more famous student Democritus.

Did any of Leucippus's own writings survive?

Virtually nothing of Leucippus's original writings has survived to the present day. What we know about his philosophy comes primarily from references, critiques, and quotations in the works of later ancient writers, most notably Aristotle, who discussed Leucippus's atomist ideas in several texts.

How is Leucippus related to Democritus?

Democritus was the student and intellectual successor of Leucippus, and is generally credited with expanding atomism into a more complete philosophical system. Because so little of Leucippus's work survives, it is often difficult for scholars to distinguish between Leucippus's original contributions and Democritus's elaborations.

Where was Leucippus from in ancient Greece?

Ancient sources associate Leucippus with several cities, most commonly Abdera in Thrace and Miletus in Ionia. He likely lived and worked in the 5th century BCE, and his thought was influenced by earlier Ionian natural philosophy as well as the Eleatic school associated with Parmenides.