Practice question · Multiple choice
Democritus held that the cosmos lacks any overarching purpose or design. What follows from this principle for human ethical life?
Hints
- Where does the source of human well-being lie if nature has no intention of its own?
- Does the absence of cosmic purpose mean ethical choices become entirely meaningless?
Show the answer
D. We must cultivate cheerfulness by moderating our own desires
Why
Without teleology, ethics cannot be grounded in a cosmic plan. Aristotle later attacked this mechanistic view precisely because it stripped nature of inherent goals, leaving human flourishing to self-regulation rather than cosmic alignment.
Practise The Atomists: Leucippus and Democritus
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