Book Title: Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science
Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
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Microcosmology : Atom complicated systems of smaller units. These smaller units are now-a-days called elementary particles and it is obvious that if anything in modern physics should be compared with the atoms of Democritus, it should be the elementary particles like proton, neutron, electron, meson, etc.
Metaphysically, the atom of Democritus is rather an abstract piece of matter, since it is deprived of the qualites of colour, smell, taste, etc. which are explained by the motion and arrangement of atoms. But his atom has the primary quality of "Being" and of extension in space, shape and motion. It would have been difficult to speak about the atom, if latter qualities had also been taken away from it.
Elementary particle of modern science has also no colour, no smell, no taste, and in this respect resembles the atom of the Greek philosophy. Moreover, elementary particles of modern physics are as much abstract as the atom of Greeks. All atoms of Democritus consist of the same substance. The atoms of Democritus are eternal, indestructible units of matter. The elementary particles of modern physics are certainly not eternal and indestructible units of matter, and they can actually be transformed into each other. All particles are made of same substance: energy.
Carrying the comparison from metaphysical point of view to familiar objects, we now know that air is not a simple element as the ancients thought it to be but is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water-vapour and other gases. Let us take another example illustrating differences between ancient and modern views on chemical transformations. We know that different metals are obtained by processing corresponding ores in furnaces at high temperatures. The ancient scientists believed that ores were made from the earth substance as other rocks. So, when they obtained strong shining substance from these ores, they explained the transformation by saying that the metal was formed by a union of earth and fire. The different qualities of different metals were accounted by saying that different proportions of earth and fire atoms went into their formation. Thus, gold contained more fire than iron.
