82+ Democritus Quotes On Atoms, Atomic And Materialism

Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher born in Abdera, Thrace in 460 BC. He is known as the 'father of modern atomism' and is credited with being the first to propose the theory that matter is made up of tiny indivisible particles called atoms. His theories were based on the concept of atomism, which states that all matter is composed of atoms and is ultimately indestructible. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Democritus on atoms, atomic, materialism.

Top 10 Democritus Quotes

1. Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.
2. Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.
3. The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.
4. Life unexamined, is not worth living.
5. The pride of youth is in strength and beauty, the pride of old age is in discretion.
6. Men find happiness neither by means of the body nor through possessions, but through uprightness and wisdom.
7. The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist.
8. The animal needing something knows how much it needs, the man does not.
9. The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged.
10. It is hard to fight desire; but to control it is the sign of a reasonable man.

Democritus Image Quotes

Life unexamined, is not worth living. — Democritus

Democritus Short Quotes

• The offender, who repents, is not yet lost.
• Tis hard to fight with anger but the prudent man keeps it under control.
• Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character.
• Magnanimity consists in enduring tactlessness with mildness.
• Men have made an idol of luck as an excuse for their own thoughtlessness.
• By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich.
• To speak but little becomes a woman; and she is best adorned who is in plain attire.
• If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.
• Fortune provides a man's table with luxuries, virtue with only a frugal meal.
• We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss.

Democritus Quotes About Atoms

We think there is color, we think there is sweet, we think there is bitter, but in reality there are atoms and a void. — Democritus

Nothing exists but atoms and the void. — Democritus

These differences, they say, are three: shape, arrangement, and position; because they hold that what is differs only in contour, inter-contact, inclination. — Democritus

According to convention there is a sweet and a bitter, a hot and a cold, and according to convention, there is an order. In truth, there are atoms and a void. — Democritus

Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, color by convention; but in reality atoms and the void alone exist — Democritus

Democritus Quotes About Mark

Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence. — Democritus

Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man. — Democritus

It is hard to fight against anger: to master it is the mark of a rational man. — Democritus

Democritus Famous Quotes And Sayings

Life unexamined, is not worth living. — Democritus

People sometimes rationalize their greed by saying that it is all for the good of their children but this is nothing but an excuse they use to make their despicable actions appear respectable and praiseworthy. — Democritus

Moving in space, the atoms originally were individual units, but inevitable they began to collide with each other, and in cases where their shapes were such as to permit them to interlock, they began to form clusters. Water, air, fire, and earth, these are simply different clusters of the changeless atoms. — Democritus

Poverty in a democracy is as much to be preferred to what is called prosperity under despots, as freedom is to slavery. — Democritus

Coition is a slight attack of apoplexy. For man gushes forth from man, and is separated by being torn apart with a kind of blow. — Democritus

The person who can laugh with life has developed deep roots with confidence and faith-faith in oneself, in people and in the world, as contrasted to negative ideas with distrust and discouragement. — Democritus

I am the most travelled of all my contemporaries; I have extended my field of enquiry wider than anybody else, I have seen more countries and climes, and have heard more speeches of learned men. No one has surpassed me in the composition of lines, according to demonstration, not even the Egyptian knotters of ropes, or geometers. — Democritus

One great difference between a wise man and a fool is, the former only wishes for what he may possibly obtain; the latter desires impossibilities. — Democritus

The man who is fortunate in his choice of son-in-law gains a son; the man unfortunate in his choice loses his daughter also. — Democritus

Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil. — Democritus

Man is a universe in little [Microcosm]. — Democritus

Whatever a poet writes with enthusiasm and a divine inspiration is very fine. Earliest reference to the madness or divine inspiration of poets. — Democritus

Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss. — Democritus

The laws would not prevent each man from living according to his inclination, unless individuals harmed each other; for envy creates the beginning of strife. — Democritus

To a wise man, the whole earth is open; for the native land of a good soul is the whole earth. — Democritus

Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly. — Democritus

The whole Earth is at the hand of the wise man, since the fatherland of an elevated soul is the Universe. — Democritus

There are innumerable worlds of different sizes. In some there is neither sun not moon, in others they are larger than in ours and others have more than one. These worlds are at irregular distances, more in one direction and less in another, and some are flourishing, others declining. Here they come into being, there they die, and they are distroyed by collision with one another. Some of the worlds have no animal or vegetable life nor any water. — Democritus

Word is a shadow of a deed. — Democritus

My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me. — Democritus

Nature . . . has buried truth deep in the bottom of the sea. — Democritus

Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure. — Democritus

One should practice much sense, not much learning. — Democritus

We know nothing accurately in reality, but [only] as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon [the body] and impinge upon it. — Democritus

No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge. — Democritus

Virtue isn't not wronging others but not wishing to wrong others. — Democritus

Reason is often a more powerful persuader than gold. — Democritus

The sweetest things become the most bitter by excess. — Democritus

To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland. — Democritus

If you would know contentment, let your deeds be few. — Democritus

More men have become great through practice than by nature. — Democritus

The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures. Some men are masters of cities, but are enslaved to women. — Democritus

Soul and intellect are just the same things. — Democritus

The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures. — Democritus

Men will cease to be fools only when they cease to be men. — Democritus

Sexual intercourse is a slight attack of apoplexy. — Democritus

Everywhere man blames nature and fate yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passion, his mistakes and his weaknesses. — Democritus

Men have fashioned an image of Chance as an excuse for their own stupidity. For Chance rarely conflicts with intelligence, and most things in life can be set in order by an intelligent sharpsightedness. — Democritus

All things happen by virtue of necessity. — Democritus

Poor mind, from the senses you take your arguments, and then want to defeat them? Your victory is your defeat. — Democritus

By convention sweet is sweet, by convention bitter is bitter, by convention hot is hot, by convention cold is cold, by convention color is color. But in reality there are atoms and the void. That is, the objects of sense are supposed to be real and it is customary to regard them as such, but in truth they are not. Only the atoms and the void are real. — Democritus

Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions. — Democritus

In a shared fish, there are no bones. — Democritus

Many much-learned men have no intelligence. — Democritus

Disease of the home and of the life comes about in the same way as that of the body. — Democritus

The word is the shadow of the deed. — Democritus

Education is an ornament for the prosperous, a refuge for the unfortunate. — Democritus

Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature. — Democritus

If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth. — Democritus

The wise man’s home is the universe. — Democritus

You can tell the man who rings true from the man who rings false, not by his deeds alone, but also by his desires. — Democritus

Happiness does not reside in strength or money; it lies in rightness and many-sidedness. — Democritus

Some men are masters of cities, but are enslaved to women. — Democritus

Envy creates the beginning of strife. — Democritus

The man enslaved to wealth can never be honest. — Democritus

Life Lessons by Democritus

1. Democritus taught that happiness is found in living a simple life, free from material possessions and free from the opinions of others.
2. He also believed that knowledge should be sought out and shared, and that it is important to think critically and question everything.
3. He also emphasized the importance of moderation and balance in life, believing that too much of anything can lead to unhappiness.