Leucippus

Leucippus (early 500 b.c.-late 500b.c.) was one of the earliest Greeks to develop the theory of atomism philosophical atoms come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes, each indestructible, immutable and surrounded by a void where they collide with the others or hook together forming a cluster). Although Leucippus mainly studied metaphysics (philosophy), he did study atomism. However, Aristotle and Theophrastus explicitly credit Leucippus with the invention of Atomism. Leucippus agreed with the Eleatic argument that //true being does not admit of vacuum//, and there can be no movement in the absence of vacuum. Leucippus contended that since movement exists, there has to be vacuum. However, he concludes that vacuum is identified with non-being, since it cannot really be. The atomists theorized that nature consists of two fundamental principles: //atom// and //void//. Unlike their modern scientific namesake in atomic theory, philosophical atoms come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes, each indestructible, immutable and surrounded by a void where they collide with the others or hook together forming a cluster. Clusters of different shapes, arrangements, and positions give rise to the various macroscopic substances in the world.

Leucippus is also the teacher of the famous atomic theorist Democritus. Democritus devised some of the first theories of shapes and atomic structures.

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