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Celebrate Life

“Life without celebration is like a long road without an inn,” so said the Laughing Philosopher, Democritus. Born in 460 BCE in Thrace, Democritus is considered the father of modern science. He claimed everything is made up of atoms, thus forming the Atomic Theory of the Universe.

Democritus thought moderation and a measured life with as little grief as possible was the best way to live.

 He did not hold to otherworldy or supernatural influences; he was a materlialist. People believed in the gods, he thought, because they were awed by thunder and lightning and catastrophic events. Democritus thought the people attributed the superhuman powers of gods as an explanation of these natural events.

Democritus’s moniker, the Laughing Philosopher, was due to his amusement of the human condition. It is thought his mirth served him well allowing him to live to the ripe old age of ninety.

The ethical system he posited drew from practical observation and he claimed cheerfulness as an ultimate good that was “a state in which the soul lives peacefully and tranquilly, undisturbed by fear or superstition or any other feeling.” However, Democritus did place importance on personal integrity and social responsibility.

The Laughing Philosopher also said, even the most pleasant becomes unpleasant in excess. An important consideration when talking about contentment and pleasures, I think.

The more I read of Democritus, the more I warm to his philosophy. The idea of cheerfulness, moderation, and that life requires celebration from time to time, appeals to me. I think we could use a good dose of such thinking in today’s world.

We are only here for a short time and we should make the most of it. For as Democritus said, the world is a stage, life a passage. You came, you saw you left. So, let us raise a glass to the Laughing Philosopher, and enjoy life with good cheer for all! And may we all live a long and happy life!

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