The history of philosophy abounds in more or less faithful accounts of the deaths of its protagonists, generally understood as a testing ground of the truth and sincerity of their thought, in which the narration itself often conveys a judgement on the philosopher and a presentation of the principles of his doctrine. The objective of this contribution is to analyse a particular case of this history of philosophy _sub specie mortis_: the death of Democritus who, thanks to his knowledge, was tempor…
Read moreThe history of philosophy abounds in more or less faithful accounts of the deaths of its protagonists, generally understood as a testing ground of the truth and sincerity of their thought, in which the narration itself often conveys a judgement on the philosopher and a presentation of the principles of his doctrine. The objective of this contribution is to analyse a particular case of this history of philosophy _sub specie mortis_: the death of Democritus who, thanks to his knowledge, was temporarily able to delay his own death. The reception and interpretation of this anecdote regarding the death of Democritus is analysed through its citations and commentaries in works of the modern era. They include critical editions of Diogenes Laertius’ _Lives_, Pierre Bayle’s _Dictionnaire_, the sceptical-libertine reading proposed by Boureau-Deslandes, some of the first histories of philosophy written in the 17 th and 18 th centuries, and other texts that mention the myth, oscillating between enthusiasm and scepticism.
