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Full Idea
What exists does not exist at all more than what does not exist, and both are causes in a similar way for the things that come about.
Gist of Idea
The non-existent exists as much as the existent, because it has causal powers
Source
Democritus (fragments/reports [c.431 BCE], A008), quoted by Simplicius - On Aristotle's 'Physics' p.28.4-27
Book Ref
Democritus: 'Early Greek Phil VII: Democritus', ed/tr. Laks,A/Most,G [Harvard Loeb 2016], p.95
A Reaction
[Simplicius actually attributes this to the shadowy Leucippus] You can see the point. If you drive into a pothole, that has considerable causal powers.
| 445 | The realm of necessary non-existence cannot be explored, because it is unknowable [Parmenides] |
| 1503 | There is no such thing as nothing [Parmenides] |
| 18933 | Not-Being obviously doesn't exist, and the five modes of Being are all impossible [Gorgias, by Diog. Laertius] |
| 20902 | Being does not exist more than non-being [Democritus, by Aristotle] |
| 20904 | The non-existent exists as much as the existent, because it has causal powers [Democritus] |
| 11278 | What does 'that which is not' refer to? [Plato] |
| 24029 | Among the simples are the graspable negations, such as rest and instants [Descartes] |
| 21762 | To grasp an existence, we must consider its non-existence [Hegel, by Houlgate] |
| 21977 | Nothing exists, as thinkable and expressible [Hegel] |
| 22919 | A thing which makes no difference seems unlikely to exist [Le Poidevin] |
| 14393 | The totality state is the most plausible truthmaker for negative existential truths [Merricks] |
| 23538 | Nothingness only exists in consciousness [Berardi] |
| 12408 | Sartre to Waitress: Coffee with no cream, please... [Sommers,W] |