The Constitution of Bodies

Atomism
I. Meaning of Atomism
II. Tenets of Atomism
III. Estimate of Atomism
I ATOMISM.
What is Atomism?
A doctrine which proposes to explain the bodily universe by pointing out the
fact that bodies are made of smaller bodies.
Important note:
We are not now discussing the ATOMIC THEORY which currently accepted as
science of matter
We are Discussing the theory of atomism which is exploded philosophy of
matter
But we recognize the VALUE OF ATOMIC THEORY
We are quite ready to recognize that the chemically compounded substances are
made up of minimum-particles called molecules.
Molecules are made up of chemically simple particles called ATOMS
Atoms are made of protons and electrons and imponderable matter.
Conclusion
this after all, is plain science fresh from the laboratory, and has nothing to do
with philosophy.

What is atomic theory?

may be illustrated as the description of a house by an enumeration of its part
down to the smallest item used in the building
And what then is ATOMISM?
is illustrated in the explanation of the house in terms of of its parts, without
reference to architect or builder and wihout reference to forest or lumberyrad or quarry
or brick-works.
Very naturally,
We may accept the the descrition of the house as true and valuable and at the
same time we may reject the explanation of the house as silly and inadequate .
In a word, WE ACCEPT ATOMS ( ATOMIC THEORY); BUT WE REJECT
ATOMISM.

ATOMISM AND ATOM

are words taken from the Greek "atomos" which means " uncut" and ëven"
"undivisible"
What do we mean by indivisibility?
indivisibility here indcates structural indivisibility or in very precise sense,
physical indivisibility.
For when one has divided and subdivided a bodily substance until available
intruments can make no further partition, one has come to a minimum-particle of the
substance.

This minimum particle is, as a quantity, still further divisible, and indefinitely so, for it
has halves and quarters and hundreths and millionths and son on endlessly.

Hence, we call particle of bodily substance indivisible we mean one of two things:
1. We mean either that we have no means of making further actual division of the
matter
2. We mean that the further actual divison would affect the very nature of the material
handled and change it into another specific kind of bodily substance.

When the term atom was applied to the minimum particle of a chemically simple
substance, it was thought that the word (atom) was just and properly descriptive,
It was thought that the atom could not be divided; that it was really something uncut and
uncuttable
So to speak, the atom now has its own building stones.
However, the term has been retained even if its original literal meaning is now no longer
justified. This comment refers, of course, to the atom as handled by physical science.
In philosophy of matter (atomism)the atom is still means uncut, uncuttable minimum of
matter which is, in one way or another, the cause and the explanation of the bodily
world.
II.TENETS OF ATOMISM
What is tenets?
: a belief or idea that is very important to a group
: a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true; especially : one held in
common by members of an organization, movement, or profession
Two Types of Philosophical Atomism
Mechanism and Dynamistic Atomism
both hold that matter is to be explained ultimately in the fact that te bodily
substance is made up of minimum bodies called atoms which coalesce to form the world
and all the bodily things in the world, lifeless and living.
also hold that atoms are all of the same specific kind, that is, both types of
atomism teach the homogeneity of matter, which meas that there is no essential
difference between clod and plant, between plant and animal, between brute and man;
the world is " all of piece"

Now we are going to talk with these two schools on different paragraphs
1. Mechanism Atomism (Pure Atomism)
 Holds that the atoms or minimum-amounts of bodily substance differ only in
size and in motion
they have no indwelling power, force, or faculty, by which they act
they are guided by no tendency,purpose, or finality, in the unions, which as a
fact, they effect
they do not lose their identity or undergo substantial change when they coalesce
to form natural change of form natural bodies, for all their movements their own being
is invariable and constant.
The movement of the atoms are external or extrinsic movement a thing
undergone, a thing communicated to the atoms something outside themselves,
whereas, atoms have no power or force in their own, they cannot exercise any
positive activity, and therefore all their movement is a matter of applied force outside.
Hence pure atomism postulates 'a mover or a motor-force' outside the atoms,;
and ultimately this must be the first mover or God.
Pure Atomism is, therefore, necessarily theistic; it presupposes a God.
It is not something Atheistic.
Atheists claimed the truth ofatimism but they do so only by ignoring the cause
of motion and focusing upon the fact of motion as an explanation of the universe.
bby acting thus, the deify matter itself and become pantheists.

2. Dynamistic Atomism
teaches that the atoms or minimum-particles of a bodily substance are endowed
with an indwelling force or power of motion.
some atomists, of this type the motion of atoms are is due to twofold power of
attrractio and repulsion other finds sufficient explanation of motion in in th erepulsive
power alone.
some say that the atoms come into immediate contact form of the bodies; others
declare that the atoms are always sseperated, even in the most solid of bodies, by
vaccum-intervals or vacuoles and thus these latter atomists teach the actuality of action
ion distans which have already noticed as a physical, if not absolute, impossibility.,
Dynamistic atomism like pure atomism holds that atoms are changeless and non-
corruptible; they keep their being constant and invariable, in all combinations.
they also admit that the force-endowed aoms will no explain the phenomena of
life, at least humna life.
affirms the existence the existence of soul which unites with certain atom
formed bodies to communicate activities of superior nature.
seems to make the life principle an adjunct joined accidentally to te living body.
St. Thomas Aquinas, "The living givin pricipplein the living body is the soul. "
Christian on the contrary, hold that life principle in every living body is a
substantial form which joins with matter to constitute the living body as a single
compound substance. (kinds of soul)
III. ESTIMATE OF ATOMISM
to say that bodies are made up of smaller bodies may be perfectly true, and may
have a scietific value
but that statement doesn not even start the philosopher upon his quest
the philosopher wants to know waht the body is, an dthe small body sets him the
same problem as the larger body of which it is a part.
HENCE, NO THEORY OF ATOMS CAN BE A PHILOSOPHY. IT STILL
LEAVES UNANSWERED THE PENETRATING PHOSOPHICAL QUESTION,
WHAT MAKE THE BODY A BODY?
without going further, we may reject at once both types of atomism described
above , and presented as an ultimate explantion of the universe.

In special, we may point out the following factswhich render atimism inadmissible
philosophy of the bodily world:
1. If all atoms are the same nature it is impossible to explain a various universe.
the world presents to our knowledge a great number of bodies that differs
essentially, anf these manifest properties and activities that are differnt and often
opposite.
ywt atoms are all of one essential kind, and which retain their nature unimpared
in every collection, wold constitute a world in whic essentially differnce would be
utterly IMPOSSIBLE.
thus, we asy that atomism is to be rejected because it fails to accout for the
exustence of essentially different bodies, and of bodies with essentially differnt
properties.
2. Pure Atomism holds that motion, externally applied, gathers atoms into collections
that make up all the various bodies of the world.
there is, however much to contradict this simple statement.
take the one instance of chemical afinity, which every scientist, even the tyro,
recognozes as a palpable fact.
by force of ths affiity certain bodies are drawn into combination with certain
other bodies; and this in a constant manner, and according to foixed and definite
proportions o fthe bodies in question.
but if pure atomism is true, anu body would combine with any oter and we could
not observe any special affinities or note their precise requirements.
further, pure atomism is contradicts itself in saying taht bodies have no forces or
powers of their own, for it teaches that atim cannot be divided, that they are
indistructible.
now, this is only saying that atoms resits divison, and such resistance is a force
power, but only a phase of being, since being stans opposed to non-being by the fact od
the actuality of existence.
for there is here no question of being, but only of the quantity isthe same in the
undivided body and in teh susm of its divisible parts.
and to say the atoms resists in division in quantity is to say much more tahn they
hold on to their being.
it is to assert a forceor power in atoms, which, b the terms of pure atomism, can
have no force or power.
In a word, it is a neat self-contradiction and self contradictor system cannot be
accepted as a sound phiolosophy.
3. Dynamic atomism, admitting some indwelling force or power in atoms, keeps this a
defitely mechanical power, that is, the power of local movement.
but there are many things in the world (aprat from the cativities of living things)
whic are mere local movement is powerless to explain.
light, electricity, radioactivity, affinities, are things which involve mechanical
action or local movement, but which have, over above, characteristics which are
altogether unexplained when local motion has had its full hearing.

In summary
We defined atom
The difference of scientific theory of atoms and the atomistic philosophy
We have distinguished two types of atomism; the dynamistic atomism and the
mechanistic atomism.
We found out hat both belief leave the philosophical problem of the bodily world not
only unsolved but unattacked. Moreover, we have found i both types of atomism
inadequasies of explanation and selfcontradiction of doctrine.