Democritus

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/democritus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Democritus born?Circa 460 BC
2. Where was Democritus born?Abdera, Thrace (ancient Greece)
3. What is the career?Pre-Socratic philosopher, author of numerous treatises on diverse subjects
4. What did Democritus think everything was made of?He believed that all things are made of tiny invisible particles called atoms, moving inside empty space called the void.
5. Why was Democritus called the "laughing philosopher"?Because he liked to stay cheerful and thought that a lighthearted attitude helps people learn and understand life.

Pre-Socratic Philosophy: Ancient Greek philosophy preceding Socrates, focusing on cosmology and the fundamental nature of reality.
Void: In Democritus's theory, the empty space in which atoms move and interact.
Mechanistic Worldview: The belief that the universe operates like a machine, with all phenomena explainable by physical causes and interactions.