Grčki filozof Demokrit iz Abdere poznat je kao osnivač atomizma, no tumačenje njegove filozofije u kemijskim udžbenicima je manjkavo; obično se prikazuje kako je došao do pojma atoma iz teze o nemogućnosti beskonačne djeljivosti umjesto, što je točno, kao rješenje paradoksalnog učenja o bitku Elejske škole. U članku se naglašava važnost Demokritova učenja o primarnim i sekundarnim kvalitetama koje čini metafizičku osnovu kemije. Autor ukazuje i na zastranjenja u nastavi do kojih dolazi ako se ne uspostavi čvrsta veza između svojstava atoma i molekula (primarnih kvaliteta) i svojstava tvari (sekundarnih kvaliteta).
Ovo djelo je dano na korištenje pod licencom Creative Commons Imenovanje 4.0 međunarodna.The Greek philosopher Democritus is well known as the founder of the first atomistic theory, but his philosophy has not always been interpreted correctly in chemistry textbooks; it is taken for granted, without historic argument, that his atomism stems from the thesis of the impossibility to divide matter ad infinitum. The truth is, however, that he invented atoms as an answer to the problem of paradoxical Eleatic being. The utmost value of Democritus’s philosophy for chemistry is in his teaching of primary and secondary qualities, the former belongs to atoms, the latter to things. That teaching provides a metaphysical basis for chemistry, the neglectance of which could lead to the misunderstanding of chemical processes. Therefore, the teacher needs to establish a strong relation between primary and secondary qualities, i.e. the properties of atoms/molecules, and the properties of substances.
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