Atomism

Atomism, developed by Leucippus and Democritus in the fifth century BCE, holds that all of reality consists of indivisible, indestructible particles — atoms — moving through the void. Everything, including the soul, is composed of atoms whose combinations and collisions produce all natural phenomena. This thoroughgoing materialism, which left no room for teleology or divine purpose, was one of ancient philosophy's most radical systems. It was revived by Epicurus, and Lucretius carried it into Latin, where it became a major influence on early modern science and the mechanical philosophy.