What's the alternative to atomism?

[gib65]

In ancient Greece, what was the alternative theory to atomism - that is, the theory that all matter was infinitely divisible?

[timo]

I didn´t live in the days of the ancient greeks, an I´m not really fit when it comes to history of science, but I think that´s true. In fact, from everyday experience it seems only "logical" that you can divide matter arbitrarily if you only had a sufficiently sharp knife.

[DV8 2XL]

I would doubt there was a alternative theory at the time.

[gib65]

I would doubt there was a alternative theory at the time.

 

No, there was. They used to believe that you could divide matter up into infinitely small pieces without limits, until Democritus came along with his theory of atoms. I'm just try to figure out if there's a name for this theory.

[the tree]

If it was the only theory then why give a name to it?

 

Before Copernicous showed how the planets revolve around the sun, there simply wasn't a name for the belief that they didn't.

[insane_alien]

Infinite divisibility theorem? or the equivalent in ancient greek.

[DV8 2XL]

Apparently it's atomism and divisionism; or so I am told by my daughter's boyfriend, the third-year philosophy student.

[gib65]

If it was the only theory then why give a name to it?

 

Before Copernicous showed how the planets revolve around the sun' date=' there simply wasn't a name for the belief that they didn't.[/quote']

 

Well, as DV8 2XL pointed out, there is a name for it - Divisionism. It's true there wasn't a name for it at the time, but once an alternative view pops up, there arises a need to name it in order to distinguish it from the new view. In the case of Copernicous's "heleocentric" theory, the old view was thereafter named the "geocentric" theory.