Reality and Knowing Reality

DEMOCRITUS: As I am the oldest, I will begin. I am not the first to wonder what reality consists of, and I have learned from observation and reason that the world is not precisely as we perceive it. My friend Leucippus actually developed the idea of the atomic theory, but I worked out the details and supported it with the development of an epistemology. It would be better for all of you had my writings survived, for I kept copious notes and showed clearly how I developed the atomic theory to the state at which I left it, but I notice that you, Aristotle, gave a good account of it to posterity, and I thank you. Reality consists of only two things--atoms, and the void. Everything we see, touch, and experience consists of different arrangements of atoms in that void, filling the void with the sensible objects we perceive around us. "Atom" means "indivisible," and the atom is thus the smallest piece of being that is possible. It is uncreated, indestructible, eternal, indivisible, and solid in the sense of containing no holes. They were set in motion through empty space, the cause of which need not concern us here.

ARISTOTLE: But it should, and that is one of the real objections I have to your theory--you do not explain the origin of movement or say what kind of movement is natural to atoms.

DEMOCRITUS: That may be, but we are here discussing the nature of reality, what it is, and you seem

. . .
ance is not an atomic structure but a potentiality that becomes an actuality through change. I am interested in analyzing every object in the universe and in being able to do so in a language that is comprehensible. Every object is thus both a potential and an actuality, making it in effect an enclosed and self-contained teleological system. I suppose in your world this self-actualization of every substance is no longer considered valid? MYSELF: Actually, it is not, given that we now believe that every substance is in a process of change toward disintegrating into its component parts. We see every system as tending toward entropy, or a return to a primordial state, which in your terms would be a reversal of the four causes. PLOTINUS: I notice you give very little credence to Plato, while I begin with Plato and try to answer problems and reshape the philosophy to a Christian conception. I see no reason to reject Plato out of hand. One of your reasons is a rejection of mysticism, and I think you are never going to comprehend the nature of reality without recourse to a broader view of the forces in the universe and how we can make a connection with them. I believe that absolute truth and certainty cannot be found in this w
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Reality DEMOCRITUS, Democritus Plotinus, God God, SEXTUS EMPIRICUS, God ARISTOTLE, , sensory perception, Brace Jovanovich, nature reality, form matter, Macmillan Company, Press America, process change, Philosophy York, limited knowledge possess, limited knowledge, atomic theory, causes sense, reached causes, knowledge possess, atomic structure, underlies substance atomic, object form matter, substance atomic structure,
Approximate Word count = 1704
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Reality and Knowing Reality