|
In the Name of God
Research on the Scientific
Path of Democritus
Derived from Series of
Teachings and Speeches of Esteemed Philosopher, Ostad Mousavi
Democritus lived around the
year 435 BC. Many say Plato based many of his views on those of
Democritus.
Democritus’s
father was a very wealthy man. Some say he inherited over a million of
today’s dollars from his father,
which was a big sum of money for that time.
Initially, he was
an animal caretaker. He then turned to plants and came to know God and
found the truth through plants. After stating that plants and trees
move, he was pronounced insane. Hippocrates was appointed to treat him.
He advised Democritus to drink milk. A bowl of milk was brought.
Democritus had a look at the milk and said, “This belongs to a black and
young cow.”
In other words, he saw the
reality behind the particles of the milk and understood where they
originated from. They investigated and found what he had said was right.
Hippocrates bowed in front of him and said he had to make use of the
knowledge Democritus had. He also said, “Those who consider you insane,
are themselves insane.”
He traveled to
Egypt and few other African countries, also to Babylon, Iran, and India.
He used his wealth to seek wise scientists and eventually found a
scientist in Thebes. He stayed in Thebes for some time. Upon finding a
master, he gave all his money to the people. He said he wanted to be
free of monetary belongings so that he would become ready from within.
He was criticized for donating his wealth.
He replied, “I prefer
discovering a posteriori or priori reasoning in philosophy or geometry
to being given a throne.”
This is why
Democritus became the person he did. We are now talking about him after
about 25 centuries. He did not attain this status easily. Millions of
wealthy people have died leaving nothing after them; even if they have
left something, it was nothing but problematic.
He was extremely
humble and avoided scientific disputes. He said, “In science, there
should be reasoning and understanding and not disputes.” If a person
wants to achieve a true goal in life, he/she should do so by scientific
reasoning. He would distance himself from those who would explain
scientific issues through conflicts. (This is absolutely right as
disputes dim realities. Disputes are like dust which cover shiny glasses
and stain them.) He said, “I have a brightness which will be stained
with dispute.” This was why he avoided disputes.
He said, “Wise is
he who trains himself and is free of superstitions.” He believed a wise
person would not accumulate money or title for himself and that these
were only the cause of restriction and destruction. He, who is willing
to give his life for the smallest of material things, will obviously die
if those things are taken from him.
He said, “The
greatest cause of man’s prosperity is his power of thinking.”
He found that the
center of philosophy was Athens in Greece and travelled there without
revealing his identity. Only a few recognized him who asked why he had
not revealed who he was. He replied, “If people recognize me, my
knowledge will lose its protection. I prefer this anonymity.”
(Philosophy is such that if one is well-known, there may be the
possibility of his/her becoming proud.)
He would
sometimes interpret philosophy through the senses. He said, “The most
significant thing for man in the world is his ear and his eye.”
He believed the
world was a world of contracts and stipulations. For example, he
believed something termed ‘bitter’ was not in reality bitter and was
only termed so. These were merely agreements among the members of
societies. He believed maybe something sweet was agreed to be called
bitter and something palatable to us was termed sweet. He said this was
not right and was only because of agreements and contracts.
He believed the
lives of men and women were contractual, so also their jobs and
occupations. He said realities are hidden deep behind these. In other
words, realities were buried under contracts. All are not able to find
what reality is.
He said, “Man
should seek the source of joy within himself, not from others.” (i.e.
one should be so strong from within that he finds joy from inside and
not expect others to make him happy.)
He said,
“Particles have a tendency to move downwards and there is uproar within
these particles and this uproar manifests the invocation ‘God’.”
Although he lived before Islam, his views conform to those of the Holy
Quran: “Whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is on the earth
glorifies Allah.” (Surah Jumu’ah, Ayah 1).
He said, “No
power in the world is as strong as man’s mystic and gnostic power.”
He also said, “I
searched a lot and found that no material can be divided infinitely, as
all are connected by affection.”
He was pronounced
insane but said, “I laugh at the insanity of man.”
His philosophy was and still is of great significance. His
writings in philosophy were first translated into Syriac, then to Hebrew
and finally into Arabic. |