The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius, in his epic work De Rerum Natura ("On the Nature of Things"), presents a striking vision of the universe grounded in materialism, where life, soul, and all things consist of atoms in motion. His work, inspired by Epicurus, rejects the idea of supernatural design or divine intervention. Instead, Lucretius declares that organic life itself is "called matter," emerging from the fundamental interactions of atoms in the void.
Lucretius opens his poem with a hymn to Venus, the generative force of nature, but quickly shifts to a philosophical exploration of the nature of reality. He argues that everything, including the soul, is corporeal, made of fine and subtle atoms, and nothing exists apart from matter and void. In this worldview, all change, growth, and decay are the result of atomic interactions, not the actions of gods or immaterial forces.
"Nothing can be created from nothing" (De Rerum Natura, I.150).
This foundational idea asserts that life and matter are inseparable. Life does not spring from some external spiritual force but arises from within the material universe itself. Organic life, in this view, is simply a specific organization of atoms—a process rather than a distinct substance. Lucretius challenges the reader to perceive that the soul and consciousness are natural phenomena:
“The soul is born with the body, grows with it, and perishes as the body disintegrates.” (DRN, III.445–446)
To Lucretius, the anima (soul or life-force) is no immaterial ghost, but a physical component of human beings—composed of the finest atoms. He delineates between the anima and the animus (mind), both made of subtle matter, which perish at death. He denies the soul’s survival, refuting the belief in personal immortality:
"When the body is taken from it, the soul cannot remain alone, and cannot exist by itself." (DRN, III.417–418)
The idea of “life called matter” aligns closely with Lucretius’ understanding. All living beings—from the simplest to the most complex—are matter organized in particular ways. Even thought, emotion, and perception are the movements and arrangements of atoms:
“Mind and spirit are held together by body; they cannot act nor feel without it.” (DRN, III.608)
Lucretius' materialism is not a denial of wonder but an exaltation of it. The fact that such diverse and intricate life arises from atoms enhances, rather than diminishes, the grandeur of nature. He shows reverence for the natural order, marveling that infinite combinations of invisible particles can form the stars, earth, animals, and human beings:
“All things are made of invisible particles... their combinations endless.” (DRN, I.265–266)
Atoms, in Lucretius' cosmology, are the eternal, unchanging building blocks of reality. They are infinite in number, differ in shape and size, and move in the void without end. From their interactions arise the forms we observe, including organic life. These atoms combine and dissolve according to natural laws, and not according to fate or divine will.
“Nature resolves all into its atoms again, and never reduces anything to nothing.” (DRN, I.216–217)
Even death is explained as the dissolution of atoms rather than a transition to another realm. Life ends when the body's atomic structure is broken down. The soul, as atomic as the body, disperses.
“Death is nothing to us, since when we exist, death is not present, and when death is present, we do not exist.” (DRN, III.830–831)
This line encapsulates Lucretius’ fearless approach to mortality: life is a fleeting arrangement of matter, and death is the end of perception and sensation. The soul does not survive the destruction of the body because it is not separate from it—it is part of matter.
Lucretius also rejects teleology—the belief that nature or life is designed for a purpose. In his view, eyes were not made for seeing, but rather beings that happened to have sight-bearing organs survived:
“Nothing in the body is made for use; what exists was not made for its use, but its use was made for it.” (DRN, IV.833–834)
This evolutionary insight anticipates modern biology. The natural world is not shaped by intention, but by the interaction and survival of material forms.
In De Rerum Natura, the universe is self-contained, infinite, and devoid of external direction. Lucretius builds a vision of reality in which everything, including life, soul, and mind, is matter in motion. Organic life is not animated by anything beyond nature—it is nature, animated by the interplay of atomic forms.
Thus, life is indeed "called matter" in Lucretius’ poem. The soul, as subtle matter, shares in the destiny of all things material—it is born, it changes, and it passes away. In this radical affirmation of the physical, Lucretius invites us not to despair, but to find joy in understanding the world as it is, governed by eternal principles and devoid of fear:
“So cease your lamentations and refrain from complaints. For you must perish just as you are born.” (DRN, III.971–972)
Matter is eternal; forms are not. Life, soul, and all that we are, are temporary expressions of eternal atoms. In this knowledge, Lucretius urges us to live with wisdom, courage, and peace.
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