Pythagoras & His Weird Religious Cult
Let's Talk Religion・2 minutes read
Pythagoras, a pre-Socratic philosopher, is shrouded in legend, with his followers, the Pythagoreans, following a distinct way of life and specific teachings. His legacy focuses on mystical beliefs about the soul and reincarnation, overshadowing his mathematical and philosophical contributions.
Insights
- Pythagoras, a legendary figure in ancient philosophy, founded a distinctive group of followers known as the Pythagoreans, who embraced a unique lifestyle with strict rules and mystical practices, emphasizing secrecy and asceticism.
- Despite Pythagoras' renown for his mystical teachings on the immortal soul and reincarnation, his mathematical and geometrical contributions were overshadowed by his esoteric beliefs, leading to uncertainty about the direct origin of Pythagorean ideas and their transmission through later philosophers like Plato.
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Recent questions
Who was Pythagoras and what were his beliefs?
Pythagoras was a pre-Socratic philosopher believed to have lived in the 6th to 5th centuries BC. He taught that the soul is immortal, distinct from the body, and undergoes reincarnation after death. His followers, the Pythagoreans, adhered to a specific way of life, including vegetarianism and religious rituals.
Where did Pythagoras live and what was his reputation?
Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, possibly traveled to Egypt and Babylon, and settled in Croton, Italy. He gained fame as a sage with miraculous abilities and was revered as a semi-divine being with psychic and spiritual powers.
What were the practices of the Pythagoreans?
The Pythagoreans followed a specific way of life, including vegetarianism, religious rituals, and peculiar rules like abstaining from beans. They were akin to a mystery cult, emphasizing secret initiation, ascetic practices, and silence regarding their master's teachings.
What was the legacy of Pythagoras and his followers?
Pythagoras is primarily known for his mystical teachings on the soul, reincarnation, and the esoteric practices of the Pythagoreans. Their beliefs influenced later philosophical traditions like Neoplatonism, focusing on asceticism and vegetarianism.
How did Pythagorean ideas impact mathematics and philosophy?
Pythagoreans believed reality was composed of numbers, leading to developments in geometry, mathematics, and music theory. Figures like Philolaos and Archytas made significant contributions to mathematics and geometry, emphasizing the importance of numbers in understanding the cosmos.
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Summary
00:00
Pythagoras: Mystical Philosopher and Spiritual Leader
- Pythagoras is a pre-Socratic philosopher, believed to have lived between the 6th to 5th centuries BC, often considered the first philosopher in Western tradition.
- Pythagoras' life is shrouded in legends, with later followers, the Pythagoreans, forming a distinct group characterized by specific ideas and a unique way of life.
- Pythagoras himself left no written texts, with accounts of his life and teachings emerging centuries after his death, making it challenging to discern historical truth from myth.
- Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, possibly traveled to Egypt and Babylon to learn wisdom, and later settled in Croton, Italy, where he gained fame as a sage with miraculous abilities.
- Pythagoras was revered as a semi-divine being with psychic and spiritual powers, leading to comparisons to a shaman due to his secret wisdom and mystical practices.
- Pythagoras taught that the soul is immortal, distinct from the body, and undergoes reincarnation after death, a belief possibly influenced by Egyptian teachings.
- The Pythagoreans, his followers, adhered to a specific way of life, including vegetarianism, religious rituals, and peculiar rules like abstaining from beans and following strict conduct in temples.
- The Pythagoreans were akin to a mystery cult, with similarities to the Orphics, emphasizing secret initiation, ascetic practices, and silence regarding their master's teachings.
- Pythagoras and his followers faced opposition and violence, leading to his relocation to Metapontum, where he likely died around 490 BC, with little emphasis on his mathematical or geometrical contributions.
- The legacy of Pythagoras primarily revolves around his mystical teachings on the soul, reincarnation, and the esoteric practices of the Pythagoreans, overshadowing his mathematical and philosophical achievements.
14:54
Pythagorean Influence: Philosophy, Mathematics, and Neo-Pythagoreanism
- Pythagorean ideas are often attributed to Plato, but it's unclear if they originated with Pythagoras himself, with little direct evidence of his beliefs.
- The Pythagorean movement was divided into the acousmaticoi, focusing on religious aspects, and the mathematico, delving into philosophical and mathematical questions.
- Later Pythagoreans in the fourth century emphasized the importance of numbers in understanding the cosmos, with figures like Philolaos and Archytas making significant contributions to mathematics and geometry.
- Pythagoreans believed reality was composed of numbers, leading to developments in geometry, mathematics, and music theory, with a focus on harmonic ratios and the cosmology of planetary spheres.
- Neo-Pythagoreanism emerged in the last years before the common era, with individuals reinterpreting Pythagorean ideas and influencing later philosophical traditions like Neoplatonism, while also continuing the Pythagorean way of life characterized by asceticism and vegetarianism.
