THE FORMATION OF ATOMISM: LEUCIPPUS AND MELISSUS
The author estimates the contribution of Melissus to the formation of conceptual prerequisites to the atomistic picture of the world, the foundation of which was laid down by his direct student Leucippus. It is shown that Melissus was aware of Parmenides’ factual admission of existence of the non-being, despite his declaration of the opposite. The conclusion is made that this encouraged Melissus to radically transform Parmenides’ teaching about the being. In particular, Melissus accepted spatial infinity and internal homogeneity of the being. The founders of atomism appreciated Parmenides’ idea, pointed out by Melissus, of non-being as empty space outside of the being. On the other hand, they agreed with Melissus’ own characteristic of the being as internally homogeneous. This was the basis on which they built the atomistic concept of the world, with atoms existing and moving in the infinite void, and their combinations constituting the variety of all the things in the world. The atoms themselves are spatially finite and undividable particles of the being, consisting of ameres - spatially minimal and internally structureless primary elements. Special attention is given to Melissus’ reaction to the fact that his student established the basis of atomistic philosophy.