Sunday, February 6, 2011

Nietzsche On Democritus



"The concept of number does not have the same significance [for Democritus] it has for Philolaus, his contemporary; with the latter, it seems, Pythagorean philosophy begins." -- Friedrich W. Nietzsche, philosopher, The Pre-Platonic Philosophers, 1872-1876

"Of all the more ancient systems, the Democritean is of the greatest consequence. ... Now for the first time do we have a rigorous, scientifically useful hypothesis." -- Friedrich W. Nietzsche, philosopher, The Pre-Platonic Philosophers, 1872-1876

Quoted in Nietszche:

"I will therefore not deny that the theory of Lucretius, or his predecessors, Epicurus, Leucippus, and Democritus, has much resemblance with mine." -- Immanuel Kant, natural philosopher, General History of Nature and Theory of the Heavens, 1755

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