Weak Democritean Eudaimonism

This paper explores three questions concerning Democritus’ moral philosophy. First, do Democritus’ moral claims constitute a genuine ethical theory (the Theory Question)? Second, if so, is Democritus’ ethical framework part of the eudaimonistic tradition of his contemporaries and successors, namely Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics (the Eudaimonism Question)? Third, if Democritus is an eudaimonist, is there a necessary relationship between his ethics and the other areas of his philosophy (the Strength Question)? I argue that Democritus is an eudaimonist, but only in the weak sense.