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8 THE JAINA PHILOSOPHY DEVELOPMENT OF ATOM FROM ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY TO MODERN SCIENCE
In this chapter we propose to review how the exceedingly primitive way of conceiving the nature of material existence developed stage by stage from the first epoch of Greek philosophy to the nuclear physics of modern times Our discussions, however, will necessarily be quite imperfect and elementary for more reasons than one Firstly, the facts of which some account must be taken are so numerous and complicated that they would require for their mastery something like an encyclopaedic acquaintance with the whole range of experimental sciences viz., physics, chemistry, etc Secondly, an adequate interpretation on the cosmological side would demand a familiarity with higher mathematics Thirdly, full discussion of the divergent views held by the different philosophers and scientists, would demand very much more space than we are at liberty to grant in this article All that we can hope to do here is to deal with the broad outline of the general principles -
The early Greek philosophy from Thales to the Atomists in seeking the unifying principle in the universal mutability of all things, had formed the concept of cosmic matter, a universal substance, which experiences all these transformations, from which all individual things arise and into which they become again transformed This matter was partly identified with some specific natural element like water, air or fire
There is enormous difference between modern science and ancient Greek philosophy Since the time of Galileo (and Newton), modern science has been based upon a detailed study of nature and upon the postulate that only such statements should be made, as have been verified or at least can be verified by
