Page 56 - STOLEN LEGACY By George G. M. James

2. His Doctrines and Authorship:

(i) Authorship: The authorship of the doctrine of the atom is doubtful, from the standpoint or
view of certain modern writers. The names of the Ionians Leucippus and Democritus have been
associated with this doctrine, which according to the opinion of Aristotle and Theophrastus,
originated through Leucippus, but was developed by Democritus. As a matter of fact, the Ionians
doubted the existence of Leucippus because he was unknown to them; and it seems proper that
the opinion of the Ionians should receive credence rather than that of Aristotle and Theophrastus,
who were Athenians, and who were compiling philosophy in the interest of their movement.
(Burnet op. cit. p. 350; Turner's Hist. of Phil. p. 65).

(ii) The doctrine concerning the Atom is eclectic.

The doctrine of the atom as explained by Democritus, is eclectic, and represents one of the many
forms in which the ancient doctrine of opposites has been expressed. The Pythagoreans
expressed it by the elements of number: odd and even.

Parmenides being unfamiliar with the law of generation, denied the existence of one opposite
(not-Being), in order to affirm the existence of the other (being). Socrates, being more
acquainted with the law of generation than Parmenides, expressed it in several pairs of opposites,
in an effort to prove the immortality of the soul: hence he spoke of unity and duality; of division
and composition; of life and death.

In like manner Democritus expressed the doctrine of opposites, when he described Reality by the
life of the atom, i.e., a movement of "that which is" (To on) within "that which is not" (To mē
on). The original source of this doctrine however, is the philosophy of the Mystery System of
Egypt where we find the male and female principles of nature symbolized by (a) Osiris and Isis:
the Egyptian God and Goddess, and (b) the Gods Homs and Seth, symbolizing a world in static
equilibrium of conflicting forces, as they contend for dominion over Egypt. (Memphite
Theology; Kingship and the Gods by Frankfort C. 3, p. 25–26; 35; Herodotus I, 6–26; Ancient
Egypt by John Kendrick Bk. I p. 339; Egyptian Religion by Frankfort, p. 64, 73 and 88; Zeller's
Hist. of Phil. p. 61; Wm. Turner's Hist. of Phil. p. 41; Plato Phaedo C. 15, 16, 49).

The doctrine and philosophy of opposites is further demonstrated by the Egyptian Creation story,
in which Order came out of Chaos and which was represented by four pairs of opposites i.e.,
male and female gods.

(a) Nun and Naunet i.e., primeval Matter and Space.
(b) Huk and Hauket i.e., Illimitable and the Boundless.
(c) Huh and Hauhet, i.e., Darkness and Obscurity.
(d) Amon and Amaunet, i.e., the hidden and concealed ones (the Air, Wind).

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Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James
The Journal of Pan African Studies 2009 eBook