Editing Leucippus (section)

=== Ancient Greece ===
Modern understanding of Leucippus's role in the development of atomism comes from the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and [[Theophrastus]].{{Sfn|Graham|2008|p=333}} Aristotle's 4th-century BCE record of Leucippus and Democritus's philosophy is the oldest surviving source on the subject,{{Sfn|Hasper|2014|p=65}} though he did not distinguish who developed which atomist ideas.{{Sfn|Skordoulis|Koutalis|2013|pp=467–468}}{{Sfn|Gregory|2020|pp=23–24}} Aetius also wrote about Leucippus, but it was well after Leucippus's own time and derivative of previous writings on the subject.{{Sfn|Graham|2008|p=337}} Some later histories of philosophy omitted Leucippus entirely.{{Sfn|Taylor|1999|p=181}} Since ancient times, Leucippus has languished in obscurity compared to Democritus,{{Sfn|Skordoulis|Koutalis|2013|p=467}}{{Sfn|Taylor|1999|pp=181–182}} and since the earliest records of atomist thought, it has been common practice to consider the ideas of Leucippus and Democritus collectively rather than attempting to distinguish them.{{Sfn|Skordoulis|Koutalis|2013|pp=467–468}}{{Sfn|Gregory|2020|pp=23–24}}

The atomist philosophy of Leucippus and Democritus influenced Greek philosophy for centuries, particularly in the work of Aristotle and Epicurus.{{Sfn|Taylor|1999|pp=199–200}} Aristotle was critical of atomism. He questioned why stone should fall but fire should rise if they are both made of the same material.{{Sfn|Furley|1987|p=184}} According to [[Diogenes Laertius]], [[Diogenes of Apollonia]]'s interpretation of the void may have been inspired by Leucippus.{{Sfn|Barnes|2012|p=569}}{{Sfn|Stokes|1971|p=243}} [[Plato]] explored cosmological ideas similar to those of Leucippus in the dialogue ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]''.{{Sfn|Gregory|2013|p=449}}