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Democritus Quotes

Democritus was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe.Democritus was born in Abdera, Thrace, around 460 BC, although there are disagreements about the exact year. His exact contributions are difficult to disentangle from those of his mentor Leucippus, as they are often mentioned together in texts. Their speculation on atoms, taken from Leucippus, bears a passing and partial resemblance to the 19th-century understanding of atomic structure that has led some to regard Democritus as more of a scientist than other Greek philosophers; however, their ideas rested on very different bases.

Largely ignored in ancient Athens, Democritus is said to have been disliked so much by Plato that the latter wished all of his books burned. He was nevertheless well known to his fellow northern-born philosopher Aristotle.

Many consider Democritus to be the "father of modern science". None of his writings have survived; only fragments are known from his vast body of work. Wikipedia  

Democritus photo
Democritus: 81   quotes 11   likes

Famous Democritus Quotes

“[Democritus says:] 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

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“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

Freeman (1948), p. 163
Variant: The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures. There are some men who are masters of cities but slaves to women.

“Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 152
Variant: It is childish, not manly, to have immoderate desires.

“There are many who know many things, yet are lacking in wisdom.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of 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

Freeman (1948), p. 155

Democritus Quotes about men

“Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 151
Durant (1939), Ch. XVI, §II, p. 354; citing C. Bakewell, Sourcebook in Ancient Philosophy, New York, 1909, "Fragment 57"
Variant: Strength of body is nobility only in beasts of burden, strength of character is nobility in man.
Variant: In cattle excellence is displayed in strength of body; but in men it lies in strength of character.

“Men in their prayers beg the gods for health, not knowing that this is a thing they have in their own power. Through their incontinence undermining it, they themselves become, because of their passions, the betrayers of their own health.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Strength of body is nobility in beasts of burden, strength of character is nobility in men.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“False men and shams talk big and do nothing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of 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

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Men achieve tranquillity through moderation in pleasure and through the symmetry of life. Want and superfluity are apt to upset them and to cause great perturbations in the soul. The souls that are rent by violent conflicts are neither stable nor tranquil. One should therefore set his mind upon the things that are within his power, and be content with his opportunities, nor let his memory dwell very long on the envied and admired of men, nor idly sit and dream of them. Rather, he should contemplate the lives of those who suffer hardship, and vividly bring to mind their sufferings, so that your own present situation may appear to you important and to be envied, and so that it may no longer be your portion to suffer torture in your soul by your longing for more. For he who admires those who have, and whom other men deem blest of fortune, and who spends all his time idly dreaming of them, will be forced to be always contriving some new device because of his [insatiable] desire, until he ends by doing some desperate deed forbidden by the laws. And therefore one ought not to desire other men's blessings, and one ought not to envy those who have more, but rather, comparing his life with that of those who fare worse, and laying to heart their sufferings, deem himself blest of fortune in that he lives and fares so much better than they. Holding fast to this saying you will pass your life in greater tranquillity and will avert not a few of the plagues of life—envy and jealousy and bitterness of mind.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Democritus Quotes about life

“He who intends to enjoy life should not be busy about many things, and in what he does should not undertake what exceeds his natural capacity. On the contrary, he should have himself so in hand that even when fortune comes his way, and is apparently ready to lead him on to higher things, he should put her aside and not o'erreach his powers. For a being of moderate size is safer than one that bulks too big.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“An evil and foolish and intemperate and irreligious life should not be called a bad life, but rather, dying long drawn out.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Disease of the home and of the life comes about in the same way as that of the body.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 170
Variant: Disease occurs in a household, or in a life, just as it does in a body.

“Those who have a well-ordered character lead also a well-ordered life.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“A life without a holiday is like a long journey without an inn to rest at.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Men have made an idol of luck as an excuse for their own thoughtlessness. Luck seldom measures swords with wisdom. Most things in life quick wit and sharp vision can set right.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Democritus: Trending quotes

“He who does wrong is more unhappy than he who suffers wrong.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Suffering

“Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Pain , Pleasure

“In a shared fish, there are no bones.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 157

Fish

Democritus Quotes

“If any one hearken with understanding to these sayings of mine many a deed worthy of a good man shall he perform and many a foolish deed be spared.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Understanding

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

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 161
Variant: The good things of life are produced by learning with hard work; the bad are reaped of their own accord, without hard work.

Beauty , Effort , Study

“No one deserves to live who has not at least one good-man-and-true for a friend.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“A sensible man takes pleasure in what he has instead of pining for what he has not.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Pleasure

“The friendship of one wise man is better than the friendship of a host of fools.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Friendship , Fools

“The right-minded man, ever inclined to righteous and lawful deeds, is joyous day and night, and strong, and free from care. But if a man take no heed of the right, and leave undone the things he ought to do, then will the recollection of no one of all his transgressions bring him any joy, but only anxiety and self-reproaching.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Law , Strong , Joy , Night

“Tis well to restrain the wicked, and in any case not to join him in his wrong-doing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Tis a grievous thing to be subject to an inferior.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

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

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 170
Variant: By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich.

Wealth

“My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of 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

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Falseness

“Many who have not learned wisdom live wisely, and many who do the basest deeds can make most learned speeches.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Wisdom , Learning

“Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 149
Variant: Medicine cures the diseases of the body; wisdom, on the other hand, relieves the soul of its sufferings.

Wisdom , Disease , Soul , Passion

“Fools learn wisdom through misfortune.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Wisdom , Fools , Learning

“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

Freeman (1948), p. 166
Variant: Envy is the cause of political division.

Law , Envy

“Good means not [merely] not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Strength and beauty are the blessings of youth; temperance, however, is the flower of old age.”

Democritus

Fragment quoted in H. Diels and W. Kranz (eds.) Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, Vol. II (1952), no. 294; reference taken from Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations (2005), p. 261

Youth , Age , Beauty , Flowers

“If one choose the goods of the soul, he chooses the diviner [portion]; if the goods of the body, the merely mortal.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Soul

“Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 163
Variant: Moderation increases enjoyment, and makes pleasure even greater.

Pleasure

“Of all things the worst to teach the young is dalliance, for it is this that is the parent of those pleasures from which wickedness springs.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Pleasure , Spring , Parent

“The hopes of the right-minded may be realized, those of fools are impossible.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Hope , Fools

“This argument too shows that in truth we know nothing about anything, but every man shares the generally prevailing opinion.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Truth

“Neither art nor wisdom may be attained without learning.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Wisdom , Art , Learning

“Man is a universe in little [Microcosm].”

Democritus

Freeman (1948)

Universe

“Not from fear but from a sense of duty refrain from your sins.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Fear , Sense

“No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.”

Democritus

Durant (1939), Ch. XVI, §II, p. 354; citing J. Owen, Evenings with the Skeptics, London, 1881, vol. 1, p. 149.

Knowledge

“The pleasures that give most joy are the ones that most rarely come.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Pleasure , Joy

“Democritus said he would rather discover a single demonstration than win the throne of Persia.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, colour by convention; atoms and Void [alone] exist in reality. (trans. Freeman 1948), p. 92.”

Democritus

By convention sweet is sweet, bitter is bitter, hot is hot, cold is cold, color is color; but in truth there are only atoms and the void. (trans. Durant 1939), Ch. XVI, §II, p. 353; citing C. Bakewell, Sourcebook in Ancient Philosophy, New York, 1909, "Fragment O" (Diels), p. 60

Reality

“It is hard to fight desire; but to control it is the sign of a reasonable man.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 165
Variant: It is hard to fight with desire; but to overcome it is the mark of a rational man.

Fight

“The animal needing something knows how much it needs, the man does not.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 162
Variant: The needy animal knows how much it needs, but the needy man does not.

Animals

“For a man petticoat government is the limit of insolence.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Wisdom , Wealth

“Making money is not without its value, but nothing is baser than to make it by wrong-doing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Money

“Verily we know nothing. Truth is buried deep.”

Democritus

Another translation: "Of truth we know nothing, for truth is in a well." Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers R.D. Hicks, Ed. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0004,001:9:11
Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Truth

“All who delight in the pleasures of the belly, exceeding all measure in eating and drinking and love, find that the pleasures are brief and last but a short while—only so long as they are eating and drinking—but the pains that come after are many and endure. The longing for the same things keeps ever returning, and whenever the objects of one's desire are realized forthwith the pleasure vanishes, and one has no further use for them. The pleasure is brief, and once more the need for the same things returns.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Love , Pain , Pleasure , Drink

“[I would] rather discover one cause than gain the kingdom of Persia.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 155
Durant (1939),Ch. XVI, §II, p. 352, citinas G.Grote, Plato and the Other Companions of Socrates (London, 1875), vol. 1, p. 68; and citing C. Bakewell, Sourcebook in Ancient Philosophy, New York, 1909, p. 62.
Variant: I would rather discover a single demonstration [in geometry] than become king of the Persians.

“Seek after the good, and with much toil shall ye find it; the evil turns up of itself without your seeking it.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Evil

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

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 166
Durant (1939), Ch. XVI, §II, p. 352 (footnote); citing F. Uberweg, History of Philosophy, New York, 1871, vol. 1, p. 71.
Variant: To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland.

Soul

“In the weightiest matters we must go to school to the animals, and learn spinning and weaving from the spider, building from the swallow, singing from the birds,—from the swan and the nightingale, imitating their art.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

School , Art , Bird , Learning

“Repentance for one's evil deeds is the safeguard of life.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Life , Evil

“In fact we do not know anything infallibly, but only that which changes according to the condition of our body and of the [influences] that reach and impinge upon it.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Change

“It is better to correct your own faults than those of another.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Now, that we do not really know of what sort each thing is, or is not, has often been shown.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“And yet it will be obvious that it is difficult to really know of what sort each thing is.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“Of practical wisdom these are the three fruits: to deliberate well, to speak to the point, to do what is right.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Wisdom

“Many much-learned men have no intelligence.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 152 [Democr. "Fragment B 64" http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/philosophes/democrite/diels.htm ("Demokrates 29" in Stobaeus, Anthologium III, 4, 81)]
Variant: There are many who know many things, yet are lacking in wisdom.

Men , Intelligence , Learning

“Now his principal doctrines were these. That atoms and the vacuum were the beginning of the universe; and that everything else existed only in opinion. (trans. Yonge 1853)”

Democritus

The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist. (trans. by Robert Drew Hicks 1925)

Universe

“There are two forms of knowledge, one genuine, one obscure. To the obscure belong all of the following: sight, hearing, smell, taste, feeling. The other form is the genuine, and is quite distinct from this. [And then distinguishing the genuine from the obscure, he continues:] Whenever the obscure [way of knowing] has reached the minimum sensibile of hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and when the investigation must be carried farther into that which is still finer, then arises the genuine way of knowing, which has a finer organ of thought.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Way , Feeling , Knowledge

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