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Who did Pythagoras mentor?
ThalesAnaximander was about Pythagoras age and Thales was old. However, Thales was Pythagoras mentor who encourage him to continue his education in Egypt on astronomy and mathematics. Anaximander influences Pythagoras to invent the Pythagorean theorem since he was interested in geometry and cosmology.
Who did Pythagoras inspire?
PlatoPythagoras' philosophy influenced both Plato and Aristotle, and through them his ideas were fundamental in Western philosophy. In his life 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher combined philosophy, mathematics, and religion, and his work and ideas are still influential to this day.
What is Pythagoras most famous for?
Born in Samos in around 570 B.C, Pythagoras is commonly said to be the first pure mathematician who proposed that everything is a number. Although he is most famous for his mathematical theorem, Pythagoras also made extraordinary developments in astronomy and geometry.
How did Pythagoras influence Plato?
Additionally, Plato may have borrowed from Pythagoras the idea that mathematics and abstract thought are a secure basis for philosophy, science, and morality. Plato and Pythagoras shared a "mystical approach to the soul and its place in the material world" and it is probable that both were influenced by Orphism.
What subjects did Pythagoras teach?
Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher who made important developments in mathematics, astronomy, and the theory of music.
How did Pythagoras influence the world?
He is best known in the modern day for the Pythagorean Theorem, a mathematical formula which states that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.
Who invented math?
The earliest evidence of written mathematics dates back to the ancient Sumerians, who built the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia. They developed a complex system of metrology from 3000 BC.
Who is the father of maths?
philosopher ArchimedesThe Father of Math is the great Greek mathematician and philosopher Archimedes. Perhaps you have heard the name before–the Archimedes' Principle is widely studied in Physics and is named after the great philosopher.
Who was the first mathematician?
Thales of MiletusOne of the earliest known mathematicians were Thales of Miletus (c. 624–c. 546 BC); he has been hailed as the first true mathematician and the first known individual to whom a mathematical discovery has been attributed.
Who is the father of philosophy?
Socrates of AthensSocrates of Athens (l. c. 470/469-399 BCE) is among the most famous figures in world history for his contributions to the development of ancient Greek philosophy which provided the foundation for all of Western Philosophy. He is, in fact, known as the "Father of Western Philosophy" for this reason.
What is the philosophy of Pythagoras?
(1) Pythagoreanism is the philosophy of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras (ca. 570 – ca. 490 BCE), which prescribed a highly structured way of life and espoused the doctrine of metempsychosis (transmigration of the soul after death into a new body, human or animal).
Who was the first philosopher?
ThalesThe first philosopher is usually said to have been Thales.
Who is the first mathematician in the world?
One of the earliest known mathematicians were Thales of Miletus (c. 624–c. 546 BC); he has been hailed as the first true mathematician and the first known individual to whom a mathematical discovery has been attributed.
What did Pythagoras do for astronomy?
Pythagoras was the first ancient astronomer to suggest that there was a harmony of the spheres, and that the movement of the planets, sun, moon and stars could be described by whole numbers and mathematical precision. His other discovery was that the morning and evening star are the same thing, the planet Venus.
Who is the father of maths?
philosopher ArchimedesThe Father of Math is the great Greek mathematician and philosopher Archimedes. Perhaps you have heard the name before–the Archimedes' Principle is widely studied in Physics and is named after the great philosopher.
Who did Pythagoras teach?
Pythagoras taught the Pythagoreans, who were the members of his society. He also strongly influenced Plato, a philosopher who lived after his death...
What theorem did Pythagoras of Samos prove?
Pythagoras proved the Pythagorean Theorem, which states that the sum of the squares of the legs of a right angle triangle is equal to the square of...
What is Pythagoras known for?
Today, Pythagoras is primarily known for his contributions to geometry, especially the Pythagorean Theorem. In his own lifetime, he was known as a...
Did Pythagoras live in Samos?
Yes, Pythagoras did live on the island of Samos as a young man. He was born there, but he traveled extensively and ended up living in southern Italy.
Where did Pythagoras learn his morals?
Pythagoras's birthplace, the island of Samos, is situated in the Northeast Aegean Sea not far from Miletus. Diogenes Laërtius cites a statement from Aristoxenus (fourth century BC) stating that Pythagoras learned most of his moral doctrines from the Delphic priestess Themistoclea.
What is the earliest source of Pythagoras' teachings?
The earliest sources on Pythagoras's life are brief, ambiguous, and often satirical. The earliest source on Pythagoras's teachings is a satirical poem probably written after his death by Xenophanes of Colophon, who had been one of his contemporaries.
Why was Pythagoras not present at the meeting when the Pythagoreans were attacked?
In some accounts, Pythagoras was not at the meeting when the Pythagoreans were attacked because he was on Delos tending to the dying Pherecydes. According to another account from Dicaearchus, Pythagoras was at the meeting and managed to escape, leading a small group of followers to the nearby city of Locris, where they pleaded for sanctuary, but were denied. They reached the city of Metapontum, where they took shelter in the temple of the Muses and died there of starvation after forty days without food. Another tale recorded by Porphyry claims that, as Pythagoras's enemies were burning the house, his devoted students laid down on the ground to make a path for him to escape by walking over their bodies across the flames like a bridge. Pythagoras managed to escape, but was so despondent at the deaths of his beloved students that he committed suicide. A different legend reported by both Diogenes Laërtius and Iamblichus states that Pythagoras almost managed to escape, but that he came to a fava bean field and refused to run through it, since doing so would violate his teachings, so he stopped instead and was killed. This story seems to have originated from the writer Neanthes, who told it about later Pythagoreans, not about Pythagoras himself.
How did Pythagoras influence Plato?
Pythagoras influenced Plato, whose dialogues, especially his Timaeus, exhibit Pythagorean teachings. Pythagorean ideas on mathematical perfection also impacted ancient Greek art. His teachings underwent a major revival in the first century BC among Middle Platonists, coinciding with the rise of Neopythagoreanism.
What were Pythagorean discoveries?
In antiquity, Pythagoras was credited with many mathematical and scientific discoveries, including the Pythagorean theorem, Pythagorean tuning, the five regular solids, the Theory of Proportions, the sphericity of the Earth, and the identity of the morning and evening stars as the planet Venus.
Why did Pythagoras say humans exist?
When Pythagoras was asked [why humans exist], he said, "to observe the heavens, " and he used to claim that he himself was an observer of nature, and it was for the sake of this that he had passed over into life.
How many children did Pythagoras have?
Suda writes that Pythagoras had 4 children (Telauges, Mnesarchus, Myia and Arignote). The wrestler Milo of Croton was said to have been a close associate of Pythagoras and was credited with having saved the philosopher's life when a roof was about to collapse.
What philosophy did Pythagoras follow?
25). This is the philosophical system that is most commonly ascribed to Pythagoras in the post-Aristotelian tradition, and it is found in Sextus Empiricus’ (2nd century CE) detailed accounts of Pythagoreanism (e.g., M. X. 261) and most significantly in the influential handbook of the differing opinions of the Greek philosophers, which was compiled by Aetius in the first century CE and is based on the Tenets of the Natural Philosophers of Aristotle’s pupil Theophrastus (e.g., H. Diels, Doxographi Graeci I. 3.8). The testimony of Aristotle makes completely clear, however, that this was the philosophical system of Plato in his later years and not that of Pythagoras or even the later Pythagoreans. Aristotle is explicit that, although Plato’s system has similarities to the earlier Pythagorean philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, the indefinite dyad is unique to Plato ( Metaphysics 987b26 ff.) and the Pythagoreans recognized only the sensible world and hence did not derive it from immaterial principles. In the Philebus, Plato himself tells a story that is very much in agreement with Aristotle’s report. While acknowledging a debt to the philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, which is found in Aristotle’s accounts of Pythagoreanism and in the fragments of the fifth-century Pythagorean Philolaus, Plato makes clear that this is a considerably earlier philosophy, which he is completely reworking for his own purposes (16c ff.; see Huffman 1999a and 2001). How are we to explain the later tradition’s divergence from this testimony of Aristotle and Plato? The most convincing suggestion points to evidence that, for reasons which are not entirely clear, Plato’s successors in the Academy, Speusippus, Xenocrates and Heraclides, chose to present Pythagoreanism not just as a precursor of late Platonic metaphysics but as having anticipated its central theses. Thus the tradition which falsely ascribes Plato’s late metaphysics to Pythagoras begins not with the Neopythagoreans in the first centuries BCE and CE but already in the fourth century BCE among Plato’s own pupils (Burkert 1972a, 53–83; Dillon 2003, 61–62 and 153–154). This view of Pythagoreanism finds its way into the doxography of Aetius either because Theophrastus followed the early Academy rather than his teacher Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 66) or because the Theophrastan doxography on Pythagoras was rewritten in the first century BCE under the influence of Neopythagoreanism (Diels 1958, 181; Zhmud 2012a, 455). Aristotle’s careful distinctions between Plato and fifth-century Pythagoreanism, which make excellent sense in terms of the general development of Greek philosophy, are largely ignored in the later tradition in favor of the more sensational ascription of mature Platonism to Pythagoras. The evidence for the early Academy is, however, very limited and some reject the thesis that its members assigned late Platonic metaphysics to Pythagoras (Zhmud 2012, 415–432). The key text is found in Proclus’ Commentary on the Parmenides (pp. 38.32–40.7 Klibansky). Proclus quotes a passage in which Speusippus assigns to the ancients, who in this context are the Pythagoreans, the One and the Indefinite Dyad. Some scholars argue that this is not a genuine fragment of Speusippus but rather a later fabrication (see Zhmud 2012a, 424–425 and for a response Dillon 2014, 251). If the Academy did not assign the One and the Dyad to Pythagoras, however, it becomes less clear how these principles came to be assigned to him. Theophrastus assigns them to the Pythagoreans ( Metaphysics 11a27), but since Aristotle distinguishes the Pythagoreans from Plato on this point, Zhmud’s suggestion (2012a, 455) that he is following his teacher and just taking “the next step” does not work. Theophrastus’ evidence makes best sense if we accept the traditional view and suppose that it is on the authority of Plato’s successors in the Academy that he bases his departure from his teacher’s, Aristotle’s, view.
Why is Pythagoras so famous?
The testimony of both Plato ( R. 600a) and Isocrates ( Busiris 28) shows that Pythagoras was above all famous for having left behind him a way of life , which still had adherents in the fourth century over 100 years after his death. It is plausible to assume that many features of this way of life were designed to insure the best possible future reincarnations, but it is important to remember that nothing in the early evidence connects the way of life to reincarnation in any specific fashion.
What is the cosmos Pythagoras presented?
The early evidence suggests, however, that Pythagoras presented a cosmos that was structured according to moral principles and significant numerical relationships and may have been akin to conceptions of the cosmos found in Platonic myths, such as those at the end of the Phaedo and Republic.
Why is Pythagoras' question so daunting?
First, Pythagoras himself wrote nothing, so our knowledge of Pythagoras’ views is entirely derived from the reports of others. Second, there was no extensive or authoritative contemporary account of Pythagoras.
What is the third source of evidence for early Greek philosophy?
A third source of evidence for early Greek philosophy is regarded with great skepticism by most scholars and, in the case of most early Greek philosophers, used only with great caution.
Which philosopher recognized only the sensible world?
Aristotle is explicit that, although Plato’s system has similarities to the earlier Pythagorean philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, the indefinite dyad is unique to Plato ( Metaphysics 987b26 ff.) and the Pythagoreans recognized only the sensible world and hence did not derive it from immaterial principles.
Was Pythagoras a scientist?
The popular modern image of Pythagoras is that of a master mathematician and scientist. The early evidence shows, however, that, while Pythagoras was famous in his own day and even 150 years later in the time of Plato and Aristotle, it was not mathematics or science upon which his fame rested.
What did Pythagoras teach his disciples?from worldhistory.org
First, he said that the soul is immortal; second, that it migrates into other kinds of animals; third, that the same events are repeated in cycles, nothing being new in the strict sense; and finally, that all things with souls should be regarded as akin. Pythagoras seems to have been the first to introduce these beliefs to Greece. (Robinson, 58)
Where did Pythagoras live?from worldhistory.org
It is known that Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, off Asia Minor, where his ancestors had settled after leaving Phlius, a city in the northwest Peloponnese, after the civil war there in 380 BCE. He received a quality education as his father, Mnesarchus, was a wealthy merchant. He may have studied in Babylon and in Egypt and possibly had the best Greek tutors of the time. All of this is speculative, however, as the information comes from later writers who accepted, uncritically, what others wrote about him. If there was an authoritative biography of Pythagoras, or original works by the man himself, they are long lost. Scholar Forrest E. Baird comments:
How did Pythagoras influence Plato?from worldhistory.org
Pythagoras' influence on later philosophers, and the development of Greek philosophy generally, was enormous. Plato (l. c. 428/427-348/347 BCE) references Pythagoras in a number of his works and Pythagorean thought, as understood and relayed by other ancient writers, is the underlying form of Plato's philosophy. Plato's famous student Aristotle (l. 384-322 BCE) also incorporated Pythagorean teachings into his own thought and Aristotle's works would influence philosophers, poets, and theologians (among many others) from his time through the Middle Ages (c. 476-1500 CE) and into the modern day. Although Pythagoras remains a mysterious figure in antiquity, therefore, he also stands as one of the most significant in the development of philosophical and religious thought.
What is the Pythagorean Theorem?from worldhistory.org
He is best known in the modern day for the Pythagorean Theorem, a mathematical formula which states that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. This formula has been applied to measuring distance and space as, for example, in planning and executing the construction of a building. Although attributed to Pythagoras by ancient writers, modern scholars cite evidence from Babylonian texts, written some time before Pythagoras, which discuss the same formula or, at least, one very similar.
What does Socrates show in Meno?from worldhistory.org
In the Meno, Plato's main character Socrates shows how what one calls “learning” is actually only “remembering” lessons from a past life. He proves his claim by having a young, uneducated slave solve a geometrical problem. Plato argues that, if one dies with one's mind intact, one will 'remember' what one learned during that life when one is born into the next. What one thinks one 'learns' in this life, one is actually only 'remembering' from one's past life and what one knew in that past life was remembered from a previous one.
What did Pythagoras mean by the number 10?from worldhistory.org
To Pythagoras, mathematics was the path toward enlightenment and understanding and, as he claimed, “Ten is the very nature of number” and by this 'number' he meant not only a unit of measurement but a means by which the world could be grasped and understood .
What does Pythagoras say when he is passing by?from worldhistory.org
Once, they say, that he [Pythagoras] was passing by when a puppy was being whipped, and he took pity and said, `Stop! Do not beat it! For it is the soul of a friend that I recognized when I heard it giving tongue. (VIII.36)
When and Where was Pythagoras born?
As with many figures in the ancient world, it is difficult to ascertain with any certainty exactly when Pythagoras was born. Most biographers today put his date of birth around 570 BCE. He was born on Samos, an island that was part of ancient Greece.
Travels and Teaching
One of the few Pythagoras facts that can be nailed down with any certainty is that he traveled extensively. He likely spent time in Babylon and Egypt as a child or a young man. He learned from a number of other philosophers, including Thales and Anaximander, and over time he developed a keen interest in mathematics.
Pythagoras' Death
Like so many other aspects of his life, Pythagoras' death is a mystery. He may have died between 497 and 480 BCE, though even this range of dates is uncertain. He likely fled Croton because he and his followers were facing persecution, and most biographers believe that he went to Metapontum in Italy.
Mathematics and Science
Pythagoras' contributions to mathematics, and especially to geometry, are famous today. The Pythagorean Theorem mentioned above is his most notable contribution to the field, though some historians believe that it was actually developed by one of his followers and not by Pythagoras himself.
Pythagoras Theory
Pythagoras' Theory states that in a right angled triangle the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Additional resources
To find out more about Pythagoras, check out “ Pythagoras: His Life, Teaching, and Influence ”, by Christoph Riedweg and “ P ythagoras: His Lives And The Legacy Of A Rational Universe ”, by Kitty Ferguson.
Bibliography
Mickaël Launay & Stephen S. Wilson, " It All Adds Up: The Story of People and Mathematics (opens in new tab) ", William Collins, 2019.
What is Pythagoras Known For?
One of the difficulties in dealing with Pythagoras’ teachings is the fact that none of his original writings are known to have survived. Thus, it is necessary for people today to rely on secondary sources for an understanding of his work. This poses another problem, as Pythagoreans in subsequent generations are said to have had a tendency of ascribing to Pythagoras their own developments of his ideas.
Where did Pythagoras live?
Pythagoras eventually settled in Croton (modern Crotone), at that point of time a Greek city in southern Italy, and was put in charge of the education of the children and the women of the city. Pythagoras became an influential person in the area, and even established an exclusive community of followers in Croton.
What led to Pythagorean downfall?
His fame, however, also led to his downfall. It is said that Cylon, a young man from an aristocratic family, desired to join this community. When his request was rejected, he gathered anti-Pythagorean support and attacked the philosopher. As a result, Pythagoras abandoned Croton and moved to Metapontum around 500 BC, where he died some years later.
How many brothers did Pythagoras have?
Pythagoras had two or three brothers as well. The nature of Pythagoras’ family life is debated. Some historians claim that he was married to a woman named Theano, had a daughter named Damo, and a son named Telauges. Others claimed that Theano was Pythagoras’ student, not his wife.
What is Pythagorean thought dominated by?
Still, one may be able to say a few things about the teachings of Pythagoras. Although Pythagorean thought is dominated by mathematics , the followers of Pythagoras also dabbled in mysticism. For example, Pythagoras may have been the first to introduce to the Greeks the idea of the immortality of the human soul and reincarnation.
Why did Pythagoras use the cup as a teaching tool?
The cup could have been a teaching tool to show that greed could make a person lose not only what they hope to gain , but also what they already have.
Why did Pythagoras leave his home?
While Pythagoras’ marital status is debatable, it is generally agreed that the philosopher left his place of birth around 530 BC due to a disagreement with the policies of the tyrant Polycrates. It was either at this time, or perhaps even before, that Pythagoras visited Egypt and Babylon (some say even India), where he became acquainted with the beliefs and customs of these cultures.
What school did Pythagoras teach?
On his return to Samos, Pythagoras opened a school called The Semicircle. However, his method of teaching was different and appealed to few. At the same time, the leaders wanted him to get involved with the city administration, which did not appeal to him.
Who was Pythagoras' teacher?
He learned poetry, could recite Homer and play the lyre. Apart from scholars from Syria, he also studied under wise men of Chaldea. Pherecydes of Syros was also one of his early teachers under whom he studied philosophy. .
What were the two groups of Pythagoreans called?
The Pythagoreans, as the followers of Pythagoras were called, could be divided into two sects. Those who lived and worked at the school were known as the mathematikoi or learners . Others, who lived outside the school, were known as akousmatics or listeners. Pythagoras was the master of both the sects.
How many siblings did Pythagoras have?
It is also said that he had two or three siblings. Pythagoras spent most of his early childhood at Samos. As he grew up, he began to accompany his father on his trading trips. It is believed that Mnesarchus once took him to Tyre, where he studied under scholars from Syria.
Why did Pythagoras travel to Miletus?
At the age of eighteen, Pythagoras traveled to Miletus to meet Thales, a master of mathematics and astronomy. Although by then Thales had become too old to teach, the meeting was quite fruitful; it elicited in him an interest in science, mathematics and astronomy.
What was Pythagoras' main activity?
Nonetheless, it is certain that his main place of activity was Croton and there he set up a brotherhood and made important contribution to mathematics, philosophy and music. His followers, known as Pythagoreans, maintained strict loyalty and secrecy. Another established fact is that Pythagoras travelled extensively.
Where did Pythagoras go to school?
Pythagoras was an Ionian philosopher and mathematician, born in sixth century BC in Samos. Most of the information available today has been recorded a few centuries after his death and as a result, many of the available accounts contradict each other. However, this much is certain that he was born to a merchant from Tyre and had studied under various teachers since his early childhood. When he was around forty years old, he left Samos. Some say he went to Egypt to study under the temple priests and returned after fifteen years while others say that he went straight to Croton to open a school. Nonetheless, it is certain that his main place of activity was Croton and there he set up a brotherhood and made important contribution to mathematics, philosophy and music. His followers, known as Pythagoreans, maintained strict loyalty and secrecy. Another established fact is that Pythagoras travelled extensively. Some accounts also claim that he went to India to study under Hindu Brahmins. Contradiction also exists about his death; but there is unanimity that he was hounded and killed by his enemies. .
Overview
Attributed discoveries
Although Pythagoras is most famous today for his alleged mathematical discoveries, classical historians dispute whether he himself ever actually made any significant contributions to the field. Many mathematical and scientific discoveries were attributed to Pythagoras, including his famous theorem, as well as discoveries in the fields of music, astronomy, and medicine. Since at least the first century BC, Pythagoras has commonly been given credit for discovering the Pythagorean th…
Biographical sources
No authentic writings of Pythagoras have survived, and almost nothing is known for certain about his life. The earliest sources on Pythagoras's life are brief, ambiguous, and often satirical. The earliest source on Pythagoras's teachings is a satirical poem probably written after his death by Xenophanes of Colophon, who had been one of his contemporaries. In the poem, Xenophanes describes Pythagoras interceding on behalf of a dog that is being beaten, professing to recogniz…
Life
There is not a single detail in the life of Pythagoras that stands uncontradicted. But it is possible, from a more or less critical selection of the data, to construct a plausible account.— Walter Burkert, 1972
Herodotus, Isocrates, and other early writers agree that Pythagoras was the son of Mnesarchus and that he was born on the Greek island of Samos in the eastern Aegean. His father is said to ha…
Teachings
Although the exact details of Pythagoras's teachings are uncertain, it is possible to reconstruct a general outline of his main ideas. Aristotle writes at length about the teachings of the Pythagoreans, but without mentioning Pythagoras directly. One of Pythagoras's main doctrines appears to have been metempsychosis, the belief that all souls are immortal and that, after death, a soul is transferred into a new body. This teaching is referenced by Xenophanes, Ion of Chios, an…
Pythagoreanism
Both Plato and Isocrates state that, above all else, Pythagoras was known as the founder of a new way of life. The organization Pythagoras founded at Croton was called a "school", but, in many ways, resembled a monastery. The adherents were bound by a vow to Pythagoras and each other, for the purpose of pursuing the religious and ascetic observances, and of studying his religious and philosophical theories. The members of the sect shared all their possessions in common and wer…
Legends
Within his own lifetime, Pythagoras was already the subject of elaborate hagiographic legends. Aristotle described Pythagoras as a wonder-worker and somewhat of a supernatural figure. In a fragment, Aristotle writes that Pythagoras had a golden thigh, which he publicly exhibited at the Olympic Games and showed to Abaris the Hyperborean as proof of his identity as the "Hyperborean Apollo". Supposedly, the priest of Apollo gave Pythagoras a magic arrow, which he used to fly ov…
Later influence in antiquity
Sizeable Pythagorean communities existed in Magna Graecia, Phlius, and Thebes during the early fourth century BC. Around the same time, the Pythagorean philosopher Archytas was highly influential on the politics of the city of Tarentum in Magna Graecia. According to later tradition, Archytas was elected as strategos ("general") seven times, even though others were prohibited from serving more than a year. Archytas was also a renowned mathematician and musician. He …
The Pythagorean Question
Sources
- 2.2 Post-Aristotelian Sources for Pythagoras
The problems regarding the sources for the life and philosophy ofPythagoras are quite complicated, but it is impossible to understandthe Pythagorean Question without an accurate appreciation of at leastthe general nature of these problems. It is best to start with theextensive … - 2.3 Plato and Aristotle as Sources for Pythagoras
In reconstructing the thought of early Greek philosophers, scholarsoften turn to Aristotle’s and Plato’s accounts of their predecessors,although Plato’s accounts are embedded in the literary structure ofhis dialogues and thus do not pretend to historical accuracy, whileAristotle’s appare…
Life and Works
- References to Pythagoras by Xenophanes (ca. 570–475 BCE) andHeraclitus (fl. ca. 500 BCE) show that he was a famous figure in thelate sixth and early fifth centuries. For the details of his life wehave to rely on fourth-century sources such as Aristoxenus,Dicaearchus and Timaeus of Tauromenium. There is a great deal ofcontroversy about his origin and early life, but there is agr…
The Philosophy of Pythagoras
- One of the manifestations of the attempt to glorify Pythagoras in thelater tradition is the report that he, in fact, invented the wordphilosophy. This story goes back to the early Academy, since it isfirst found in Heraclides of Pontus (Cicero, Tusc. V 3.8;Diogenes Laertius, Proem). The historical accuracy of thestory is called into question by its appearance not in a historical orbiographical t…
Was Pythagoras A Mathematician Or cosmologist?
- In the modern world Pythagoras is most of all famous as amathematician, because of the theorem named after him, and secondarilyas a cosmologist, because of the striking view of a universe ascribedto him in the later tradition, in which the heavenly bodies produce“the music of the spheres” by their movements. It shouldbe clear from the discussion ab...