Pythagoras

Riedweg Christoph, Steven Rendall

Description

One of the most important mathematical theorems is named after Pythagoras of Samos, but this semi-mythical Greek sage has more to offer than formulas. He is said to have discovered the numerical nature of the basic consonances and transposed the musical proportions to the cosmos, postulating a "harmony of the spheres." He may have coined the words "cosmos" and "philosophy." He is also believed to have taught the doctrine of transmigration of souls and therefore to have advised a vegetarian diet.Ancient legends have Pythagoras conversing with dogs, bears, and bulls. A distinctly Pythagorean way of life, including detailed ritual regulations, was observed by his disciples, who were organized as a secret society. Later, Pythagorean and Platonic teachings became fused. In this Platonized form, Pythagoreanism has remained influential through medieval Christianity and the Renaissance down to the present.Christoph Riedweg's book is an engaging introduction to the fundamental contributions of Pythagoras to the establishment of European culture. To penetrate the intricate maze of lore and ascertain what history can tell us about the philosopher, Riedweg not only examines the written record but also considers Pythagoras within the cultural, intellectual, and spiritual context of his times. The result is a vivid overview of the life and teachings of a crucial Greek thinker and his most important followers.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Philosophy
• Philosophy of mathematics
• History of mathematics

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 27 mars 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801464843
• Langue: English

Extrait

Pythagoras

Pythagoras

His Life, Teaching, and Influence

Christoph Riedweg

Translated by Steven Rendall in collaboration with Christoph Riedweg and Andreas Schatzmann

Cornell University Press Ithaca and London

This is a licensed English translation of Christoph Riedweg, Pythagoras: Leben, Lehre, Nachwirkung. Eine Einführung, published by C. H. Beck in 2002.

© Verlag C. H. Beck oHG, München 2002

Cornell University Press gratefully acknowledges receipt of a subven tion from the Zürcher Universitätsverein, which aided in the publi cation of this book.

English translation copyright © 2005 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without per mission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2005 by Cornell University Press

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Riedweg, Christoph. Pythagoras : his life, teaching, and influence / Christoph Riedweg ; translated by Steven Rendall in collaboration with Christoph Riedweg and Andreas Schatzmann. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0801442400 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Pythagoras. I. Title. B243.R54 2005 182′.2dc22 2004023906

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publish ing of its books. Such materials include vegetablebased, lowVOC inks and acidfree papers that are recycled, totally chlorinefree, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Cloth printing

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Walter Burkert

How well I would write if I were not here! Silas Flannery

Contents

Preface 1. Fiction and Truth: Ancient Stories about Pythagoras Pythagoras’ Appearance Biographical Information Pythagoras as a Teacher 2. In Search of the Historical Pythagoras The CulturalHistorical and Intellectual Environment The Oldest Testimonies Guru and Scholar Did Pythagoras Invent the WordPhilosophy? 3. The Pythagorean Secret Society Were the Pythagoreans an Ancient “Sect”? The Pythagoreans in the Fifth and Fourth Centuriesb.c.e. 4. Thinkers Influenced by Pythagoras and His Pupils PrePlatonic Thinkers Plato and the Old Academy Hellenistic “Forgeries” and NeoPythagoreanism Pythagoras as an Idea in the Middle Ages and Modernity—A Prospect Chronology Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

ix 1 2 5 20 42 44 48 60 90 98 98 104 114 114 116 119

128 135 141 145 163 177

Preface

The importance of an individual thinker owes something to chance. For it depends upon the fate of his ideas in the minds of his successors. In this respect Pythagoras was fortunate. His philosophical speculations reach us through the mind of Plato.

Alfred North Whitehead,Science and the Modern World

A peculiar kind of splendor surrounds the name of Pythagoras of Samos— a splendor probably due in no small measure to the fact that in his person enlightened modern science seems happily fused with ancient wisdom teachings and insights into the mysterious interconnections of the world. The first is represented by the Pythagorean Theorem that we all learn in 2 2 2 school, a + b = c , as well as by Pythagoras’s recognition of the mathe matical character of the basic musical concords. The transfer of these mu sical proportions to the cosmos (the “harmony of the spheres”) and the use of music for therapeutic ends, the doctrine of the unity of all animate beings, vegetarianism, and the transmigration of souls are key terms for the second aspect. Pythagoras has a guaranteed place not only in musicology, mathematics, and the history of science but also in the history of philoso phy and religion; in addition, he has proved attractive to esoteric move ments down to the present day. Who was this wise man from Samos? This question is not easy to answer because of the problematic state of transmission of the relevant docu ments. Very little of our information about him dates from his own life time—roughly, from 570 to 480b.c.e.The farther on in time we move, the richer the documentation becomes for us (in antiquity, the situation was still somewhat different). The only coherent descriptions of Pythagoras’ life and teaching that have come down to us from antiquity we owe to authors of the third and fourth centuriesb.c.e.: the biographer of philoso