The Apology of a Madman – Democritus

In about 400 BC, Hippocrates, a famous ancient therapist was asked to examine the great scientist Democritus because there were complaints about him that he did not behave normally and laughed strangely whenever he met people. Hippocrates imposes questions as he tries to explain Democritus' strange behavior.

 

Below is a part of this 'examination'

Hippocrates:

“Tell me, Democritus, in the name of the Gods, is everyone sick without knowing it? Can’t they go for treatment as everyone is sick, and nothing else exists beyond them?”

 

Democritus:

“There are infinite worlds Hippocrates and don’t consider little and limited our Nature which is actually so rich.”

 

Hippocrates:

“But you should teach all these Democritus in another more appropriate moment because now I fear that the idea of infinity will make you start laughing again. But now it’s the time to apologize to the community for your laughter.”

 

Democritus:

“You think the only causes for my laughter, are good and bad?

But I laugh only with the man.

The man who is full of nonsense, empty of anything right, the man whose all designs look like the designs of a small child who suffers unbearable labor without any benefit.

The man who desires to travel to the ends of the earth and the depths of which have no limits, melting the silver and gold that he never stops acquiring, always making noise to acquire more, and he is not ashamed to be called happy while digging in the depths of the earth using chained hands, people from whom others recede the land and oppressed others forcing them to live in this hell as if it was their home, picking up silver and gold, looking for traces of dust and nuggets, lifting here and there heaps of sand, opening the veins of the earth, breaking pellets and gravel for property acquisition, making mother earth hostile, and some other times admiring mother earth, while mother earth is always the same.

Laughter causes me the fact that they love the laborious and hidden earth while they insult the obvious earth. Others buy dogs, some buy horses, and others put borders on a large area to call it their private property. Others, who want to have in their possession an even larger area, and can’t do it on their own, marry women who after some time they abandon, they love, they hate, they have children because they want to, and then, they abandon them altogether.

How does this void of content and reckless rush differ in anything from fury? They fight and do not want peace. Ambush the kings, commit murder, dig the earth seeking silver and when they find silver they want to buy land, and when they buy land they want to sell it, to buy again silver. How are they ever changed? When they do not have property they crave to acquire it, when they acquire it, they are trying to hide it, to eliminate it.

I laugh with all those who suffer mishaps, I laugh even more with all those who are unhappy because they have violated the laws of truth, fighting with animosity between each other, arguing with their brothers, their children, and their fellow citizens, and do all these in order to acquire things that nobody can own after his death.

They kill each other, do not respect the laws, are indifferent to the plight of friends and their homeland, are enriched with unworthy things, and don’t have souls, they give all their property to buy statues because they think the statues speak, but they hate people who speak the truth.
They desire what is difficult, when they live inland they desire the sea, and when they live on an island they desire the mainland, and they twist everything based on their desire. They claim to praise bravery in war, but every day they are defeated by licentiousness, avarice, and other passions from which they are suffering.

So, why Hippocrates are you accusing my laughter? Nobody laughs at his own stupidity, but everyone derides the stupidity of others. My laughter condemns the folly of people, who have neither eyes nor ears.”

As he left, Hippocrates thanked the people for inviting him and gave him the chance to meet Democritus, a man who had investigated and understood the reality of human nature.

 

■ Famous Quotes (The Apology of a Madman)

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