Democritean Conceptions in Brain Research

Abstract

Democritus of Abdera (b. circa 460-457 BCE; d. circa 370-351 BCE) has been called the father of modern science. With his teacher Leucippus, they co-founded the atomic theory. Concerning neuroscience, Democritus accepted Alcmaeon’s premise of the brain being the seat of the mind, and further formulated a triune concept of the human psyche. He contributed ideas to the physiological mechanisms of the senses and perception, and devoted considerable attention to the theory of knowledge, emphasizing subjectivity and the limitation of the human sensory apparatus.