Dike – slijeđenje ethosa i nomosa
Dike – Following Ethos and Nomos

Summary/Abstract: Although there are eight or nine titles of “ethical” writings and about 216 fragments only in that segment of Democritus’ impressive opus, 22 explicitly mention the term justice, his contribution to the Hellenic notion of the dike is not commensurate with the quantitative scope of his works. The fragments of the philosopher of Abdera mostly mention the maxims of morality-based community, commonplaces about good action in the interest of polis, and emphasize the need to respect laws and norms, with the following of which justice is closely connected. To this should be added the dilemmas that arise regarding the authenticity and originality of particular fragments and whether a strong connection can be established between Democritus’ physics and “ethics.” In fragment 256 (DK68B256), the sage of Abdera says that justice is “doing what should be done,” and injustice is “not doing what should be done but turning away from it.” This confirms that, although older than Plato and a contemporary of the Sophists and Socrates, he does not, in fact, determine the substance of the dike. In preserved “ethical” passages, finally, Democritus simply succeeds the self-evident power of generality over the specific and the individual, the power of the commonality of the polis over the specific practical aspects of its life and individual interests and intentions in it.

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