Prodicus
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| - | :''[[atheism]]'' | + | '''Prodicus of Ceos''' (''Pródikos''; c. 465-c. 395 BC) was a [[Greek philosophy|Greek philosopher]], and part of the first generation of [[Sophism|Sophists]]. He came to [[Athens]] as ambassador from [[Ceos]], and became known as a speaker and a teacher. [[Plato]] treats him with greater respect than the other sophists, and in several of the Platonic dialogues [[Socrates]] appears as the friend of Prodicus. Prodicus made [[linguistics]] and [[ethics]] prominent in his curriculum. The content of one of his speeches is still known, and concerns a fable detailing the education of [[Heracles]] by Virtue. He also interpreted religion through the framework of [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalism]]. |
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| - | Although the term ''atheism'' originated in 16th-century [[France]], ideas that would be recognized today as atheistic are documented from [[classical antiquity]]. | + | |
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| - | ===Classical antiquity=== | + | |
| - | Western atheism has its roots in [[Pre-Socratic philosophy|pre-Socratic]] [[Greek philosophy]], but did not emerge as a distinct world-view until the late [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. | + | |
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| - | The 5th-century BCE Greek philosopher [[Diagoras of Melos|Diagoras]] is known as the "first atheist", and is cited as such by [[Cicero]] in his ''[[De Natura Deorum]]'' | + | |
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| - | [[Critias]] viewed religion as a human invention used to frighten people into following moral order. [[Atomism|Atomists]] such as [[Democritus]] attempted to explain the world in a purely [[materialism|materialistic]] way, without reference to the spiritual or mystical. Other pre-Socratic philosophers who probably had atheistic views included [[Prodicus]] and [[Protagoras]]. In the 3rd-century BCE the Greek philosophers [[Theodorus the Atheist|Theodorus Cirenaicus]] also did not believe gods exist. | + | |
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| - | [[Socrates]] (c. 471–399 BCE), was accused of [[impiety]] (see [[Euthyphro dilemma]]) on the basis that he inspired questioning of the [[state religion|state gods]]. Although he disputed the accusation that he was a "complete atheist", saying that he could not be an atheist as he believed in spirits, he was ultimately [[Trial of Socrates|sentenced to death]]. Socrates also prays to various gods in Plato's dialogue [[Phaedrus (dialogue)|Phaedrus]] and says "By Zeus" in the dialogue ''[[Republic (Plato)|The Republic]]''. | + | |
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| - | [[Euhemerus]] (c. 330–260 BCE) published his view that the gods were only the deified rulers, conquerors and founders of the past, and that their cults and religions were in essence the continuation of vanished kingdoms and earlier political structures. | + | |
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| - | Although not strictly an atheist, Euhemerus was later criticized for having "spread atheism over the whole inhabited earth by obliterating the gods". | + | |
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| - | Atomic materialist [[Epicurus]] (c. 341–270 BCE) disputed many religious doctrines, including the existence of an [[afterlife]] or a [[personal god|personal deity]]; he considered the [[soul]] purely material and mortal. While [[Epicureanism]] did not rule out the existence of gods, he believed that if they did exist, they were unconcerned with humanity. | + | |
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| - | The Roman poet [[Lucretius]] (c. 99–55 BCE) agreed that, if there were gods, they were unconcerned with humanity and unable to affect the natural world. For this reason, he believed humanity should have no fear of the supernatural. He expounds his Epicurean views of the cosmos, atoms, the soul, mortality, and religion in ''[[De rerum natura]]'' ("On the nature of things"), which popularized Epicurus' philosophy in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]]. | + | |
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| - | The Roman philosopher [[Sextus Empiricus]] held that one should suspend judgment about virtually all beliefs—a form of skepticism known as [[Pyrrhonism]]—that nothing was inherently evil, and that [[ataraxia]] ("peace of mind") is attainable by withholding one's judgment. His relatively large volume of surviving works had a lasting influence on later philosophers. | + | |
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| - | The meaning of "atheist" changed over the course of classical antiquity. The early Christians were labeled atheists by non-Christians because of their disbelief in pagan gods. During the [[Roman Empire]], Christians were executed for their rejection of the [[List of Roman deities|Roman gods]] in general and Emperor-worship in particular. When Christianity became the state religion of Rome under [[Theodosius I]] in 381, [[Christian heresy|heresy]] became a punishable offense. | + | |
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Prodicus of Ceos (Pródikos; c. 465-c. 395 BC) was a Greek philosopher, and part of the first generation of Sophists. He came to Athens as ambassador from Ceos, and became known as a speaker and a teacher. Plato treats him with greater respect than the other sophists, and in several of the Platonic dialogues Socrates appears as the friend of Prodicus. Prodicus made linguistics and ethics prominent in his curriculum. The content of one of his speeches is still known, and concerns a fable detailing the education of Heracles by Virtue. He also interpreted religion through the framework of naturalism.
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