Philosophical Works · Chapter
CCII explained
Descartes distinguishes his philosophy from that of Democritus, acknowledging shared assumptions about corpuscles with diverse sizes, figures, and motions, but rejecting Democritus's indivisible atoms, vacuum, and inherent gravity.
What happens
Descartes distinguishes his philosophy from that of Democritus, acknowledging shared assumptions about corpuscles with diverse sizes, figures, and motions, but rejecting Democritus's indivisible atoms, vacuum, and inherent gravity. He argues that his own system is no more aligned with Democritus than with Aristotle or other sects, emphasizing coherence and the rejection of unproven suppositions.
Themes in this chapter
Reason and Method
Descartes emphasizes the coherence and deductive rigor of his philosophy compared to Democritus's incomplete explanations.
Critique of Traditional Philosophy
Descartes critiques Democritus's assumptions (indivisible atoms, vacuum, gravity) and distances his own method from both ancient atomism and Aristotelianism.
Characters to notice
- René Descartes
Defends his philosophy against comparison with Democritus, clarifying points of agreement and divergence.
- Democritus
His corpuscular philosophy is discussed and critiqued for assuming indivisible atoms, vacuum, and inherent gravity.
- Aristotle
Mentioned as one of the philosophers who admitted consideration of figure, magnitude, and motion.
Key passages
“But it may be said that Democritus also supposed certain corpuscles that were of various figures, sizes, and motions, from the heaping together and mutual concourse of which all sensible bodies arose; and, nevertheless, his mode of philosophizing is commonly rejected by all.”
One might object that Democritus also posited corpuscles of different shapes, sizes, and motions whose combinations produce all perceptible bodies, yet his philosophy is widely dismissed.
Descartes acknowledges the superficial similarity between his corpuscular theory and Democritus's, but prepares to explain why his own approach is superior.
“I reply that the philosophy of Democritus was never rejected by anyone, because he allowed the existence of bodies smaller than those we perceive... but it was rejected, in the first place, because he supposed that these corpuscles were indivisible, on which ground I also reject it; in the second place, because he imagined there was a vacuum about them, which I show to be impossible; thirdly, because he attributed gravity to these bodies, of which I deny the existence in any body...”
I respond that Democritus's philosophy was not rejected for positing tiny bodies, but for three errors: assuming atoms are indivisible (which I also reject), postulating a vacuum (which I prove impossible), and assigning gravity to bodies (which I deny as an inherent property).
Descartes clarifies the specific reasons for rejecting Democritus's system, distinguishing his own views on indivisibility, void, and gravity.