Atoms Quote by Democritus
“Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, color by convention; but in reality atoms and the void alone exist”
About This Quote
Source Fragmentary work: “On Atoms” by Democritus, c. 400 BC
Perceived qualities like sweet or bitter are conventions; only atoms and void truly exist.
In simple terms: Sensory labels are cultural; reality is just particles and emptiness.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about sensory experience.
Themes
philosophy
perception
materialism
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- science education
- philosophical debate
- artistic metaphor
- mindfulness
Key Concepts
atoms
void
convention
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “convention” mean to you?
- How does this view affect ethics?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on materialism can ignore subjective experience.
![“[Decoding the human genome sequence] is the most significant undertaking that we have mounted so far in an organized way in all of science. I believe that reading our blueprints, cataloguing our own instruction book, will be judged by history as more significant than even splitting the atom or…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c6/francis-collins-5281_atoms_decoding-the-human-genome-sequence-is-th_15604.jpg)
