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| | Epicurus [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy] |
 | | And there must be an unlimited amount of void, since without a limitless amount of void, the infinite number of atoms would be unable to move. |
 | | Lucretius puts it, they would 'fall downward, like drops of rain, through the deep void.' The second reason for thinking that atoms swerve is that a random atomic motion is needed to preserve human freedom and 'break the bonds of fate,' as Lucretius says. |
 | | Democritus thinks that, in reality, only atoms and the void exist, and that sensible qualities such as sweetness, whiteness, and the like exist only 'by convention.' It is controversial exactly how to understand Democritus' position, but most likely he is asserting that atoms themselves have no sensible qualities--they are simply extended bits of stuff. |
| www.utm.edu /research/iep/e/epicur.htm (5535 words) |
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