Mr. The Mythological Beginning and Rational Origin of the Concept of “Void” in Presocratic Philosophy

"How Profound Is the Air": Difference and Repetition

Abstract

The traditional explanation of the concept of the “void” (τò κενóν) in ancient philosophy sees it as an invention of Democritus and Leucippus’ atomism or even of the Eleatic Melissus of Samos. In this way the profound reasons that may have led to the necessity of such a concept are concealed, and it seems that it was created ex nihilo. This article intends to discover both the mythological beginning and the rational origin of the concept of “void” in pre-Socratic philosophy, which places it as anteceding the histories told so far. Using two columns that attempt to apprehend the same concept from different points of view, the conclusion will be that the “void” was defined at the beginning as difference and repetition. Contrary to a certain understanding of the history of philosophy that sees “classics” and “moderns” as two separate and even opposing boxes, in the course of this interpretation a dialogue will be established between the pre-Socratic doxography and contemporary philosophers such as Schelling, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Schmitt, Irigaray, Derrida or Deleuze.