UW 1020 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Epicureanism, Lucretius, Epicurus
6 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Early greek belief included the idea that for science to embrace the idea of other worlds, when our own world was barely understood was presumptuous. Atomism answered the question of why other worlds should be a subject of scientific discussion: atomism was a system that provided insight into the structure of matter. Western science was concerned with the nature of the external world. On the other hand, atomism provided for the existence of atoms and the void: believed in principle that every cause has an effect. Democritus believed in some worlds there is no sun or moon, and also believed the distribution of planets were unequal. Lucretius argued that nothing is unique in the universe everything belongs to a generic type. Lucretius raised a principle called the principle of plenitude determines that as many worlds are being made as can possibly be made. To aristotle and atomists, the aristotelian concepts of worlds included heavenly phenomena.
