Titre du document / Document title

The Fourfold Democritus on the stage of early modern science = Un quadruple Démocrite au début de l'ère moderne de la science

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

LÜTHY Christoph ⁽¹⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Center for Medieval and Renaissance Natural Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9103, 6500 HD Nijmegen, PAYS-BAS

Résumé / Abstract

The renewed success of ancient atomism in the seventeenth century has baffled historians not only because of the lack of empirical evidence in its favor but also because of the exotic heterogeneity of the models that were proposed under its name. This essay argues that one of the more intriguing reasons for the motley appearance of early modern atomism is that Democritus, with whose name this doctrine was most commonly associated, was a figure of similar incoherence. There existed in fact no fewer than four quite different Democriti of Abdera and as many literary traditions: the atomist, the laughing philosopher, the moralizing anatomist, and the alchemist. Around the year 1600 the doctrines of these literary figures, three of whom had no tangible connection with atomism, began to merge into further hybrid personae, some of whom possessed notable scientific potential. This essay offers the story of how these Democriti contributed to the rise of incompatible atomisms.

Revue / Journal Title

Isis   ISSN 0021-1753   CODEN ISISA4 

Source / Source

2000, vol. 91, n^o3, pp. 443-479

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, ETATS-UNIS  (1913) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Democritus ; Century 17 ; Atomism ; Philosophy ; Heraclitus ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Démocrite ; Siècle 17 ; Atomisme ; Philosophie ; Héraclite ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Demňcrito ; Siglo 17 ; Atomismo ; FilosofÍa ; Heráclito ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 23222, 35400009338337.0010