Two Studies in the Greek Atomists

This monograph examines key philosophical problems in ancient Greek atomism, with significant implications for understanding how early materialist philosophy approached questions about divine agency and cosmic order. Furley's analysis focuses on two central issues: the concept of minimal parts in atomist theory and the swerve doctrine in Epicurean physics, both of which bear directly on whether the universe requires divine explanation.

In the first study, Furley investigates the paradox of indivisible magnitudes in Democritean and Epicurean atomism. The atomists faced a fundamental challenge: if atoms are truly indivisible, how can they possess spatial extension without being composed of smaller parts? This problem matters for theological questions because atomism's coherence as a materialist alternative to divine creation depends on resolving such foundational issues. Furley demonstrates how Epicurus developed the concept of minimal parts within atoms to address this difficulty, showing that ancient materialists were philosophically sophisticated in defending their non-theistic cosmology.

The second study examines Epicurus's doctrine of the atomic swerve, which introduces an element of indeterminacy into atomic motion. Traditional interpretations view the swerve as a desperate attempt to preserve free will within a deterministic system. However, Furley argues that the swerve serves a more fundamental cosmological function: explaining how atoms can collide and form compounds without requiring divine intervention to initiate motion. This interpretation reveals how Epicurean physics systematically eliminates the need for divine agency in explaining natural phenomena.

Furley's work illuminates the philosophical rigor with which ancient atomists constructed their naturalistic worldview. By clarifying these technical aspects of atomist doctrine, he shows how Democritus and Epicurus developed a comprehensive alternative to theistic explanations of reality. The atomists emerge not as crude materialists but as subtle thinkers who anticipated and addressed objections to their godless universe.

The monograph's significance extends beyond historical scholarship. It demonstrates that serious challenges to theistic cosmology have ancient roots and that naturalistic philosophy has long grappled with fundamental questions about reality's structure. Furley's careful philosophical analysis reveals how atomism provided a coherent framework for understanding the cosmos without recourse to divine causation, offering resources for contemporary debates about naturalism and theism.