Paper Summary:

This paper examines how our modern concept of scientific superiority over earlier civilizations is challenged on reading "De Rerum Natura," written by Lucretius (94BC-49BC). The paper explores Lucretius' ideas of atomism, his conceptualization of the world and his perception that freeing the minds of men of superstition is a noble and enduring cause.

From the Paper:

"The Epicurean proposition of a world constructed of atoms moving in a void has competed with numerous other explanations of how the world works, especially that of the Church. In fact the church was very hostile to the idea of an atomized world because it does not allow for the existence of a God that is actively involved in the world nor does it encourage the fear that is used to control the masses. But the idea persisted and was vindicated by scientific observation only in this century. The explanation of its longevity must lie in more than its empirical validity. The Epicurean ideas, especially as expressed in Lucretius' poem, have endured because of their coherence. They simply seemed to be a neater explanation of the world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Avotins, I. "Notes on Lucretius 2.251-293". Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 84 (1980): 75-79.
• Greer, R. M. On Nature: Lucretius. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill company, Inc., 1965.
• Hadzsits, G. D. Lucretius And His Influence. New York, NY: Longmans, Green and Co. 1935.
• Humphries, R. Lucretius: The Way Things Are. Bloomington, London: Indiana University Press, 1968.
• Kuhn, T.S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd. ed., Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1970.

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