Atomism is as much a tradition of the East as it is of the West.
However, according to Horne's analysis, the aim of each is different. Greek atomism was a response to problems in Greek philosophy. Greek atomism was a means of answering philsophical difficulties and explaining the natural world. India atomism was different, according to Horne. The legend has it that a group of disciples approached the sage Kanada and asked him how to gain release from mortality and attain self-realization.