Pythagoreans

Origins and Early History

The Pythagoreans were a philosophical and religious movement that emerged in the 6th century BCE in ancient Greece. The movement was founded by Pythagoras, a mathematician and philosopher from the island of Samos. Pythagoras is best known for the Pythagorean theorem, a fundamental principle in geometry, but his teachings encompassed a wide range of philosophical, ethical, and religious ideas.

Ancient Greek city with temples and public buildings.

Pythagoras was born around 570 BCE and traveled extensively in his youth, studying under various teachers in places such as Egypt and Babylon. He eventually settled in the city of Croton in southern Italy, where he established a school that attracted a large following. The members of this school, known as the Pythagoreans, lived communally and adhered to a strict code of conduct based on Pythagoras's teachings.

Beliefs and Practices

The Pythagoreans believed in the immortality of the soul and the concept of metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls. They held that the soul was divine and eternal, and that it was reincarnated in different bodies over successive lifetimes. This belief in reincarnation was closely tied to the Pythagorean doctrine of the harmony of the spheres, which posited that the universe was governed by mathematical relationships and harmonic proportions.

The Pythagoreans also practiced a form of asceticism, abstaining from meat and certain types of food, and observing strict rules of conduct. They believed that such practices helped to purify the soul and bring it into harmony with the divine order of the universe.

Influence on Mathematics and Philosophy

The Pythagoreans made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and philosophy. They were among the first to propose that the universe could be understood in terms of numbers and mathematical relationships. This idea had a profound influence on the development of Western philosophy and science.

In mathematics, the Pythagoreans are perhaps best known for the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. This theorem is a fundamental principle in geometry and has numerous applications in various fields of science and engineering.

Decline and Legacy

The Pythagorean movement declined in the late 5th century BCE, largely due to political upheaval in southern Italy. However, the ideas and teachings of Pythagoras and his followers continued to exert a significant influence on Western thought.

The Pythagorean concept of the harmony of the spheres, for example, was a major influence on the development of the cosmological models of Plato and Aristotle. The Pythagorean emphasis on mathematical relationships also had a profound impact on the development of Western science and philosophy.

See Also

Pythagorean theorem Ancient Greek philosophy Metempsychosis