Pythagoras & His Weird Religious Cult

In this episode, we explore the life and movement of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, and discover that the common image of him as an ancient mathematician isn't entirely supported by the evidence.

Sources/Suggested Reading:

Huffman, Carl A. (2008). "Philolaus of Croton: A Commentary on the Fragments and Testimonia with Interprative Essays". Cambridge University Press.

Huffman, Carl A. (ed.) (2017). "A History of Pythagoreanism". Cambridge University Press.

Kirk, G.S., J.E. Raven & M. Schofield (1983). "The Presocratic Philosophers". Second Edition. Cambridge University Press.

Zhmud, Leonid (2012). "Pythagoras and the Early Pythagoreans". Translated by Kevin Windle & Rosh Ireland. OUP Oxford.

#Pythagoras #Pythagoreanism #Philosophy

[jorenbosmans]

Had a talk with my mathematician colleague this week where he said that there was more to Pythagoras than people realized. This one came surprisingly on cue.

[panqueque]

I had no idea most accounts of his life were written 800 years after he died. That's... not very good I gotta say.

[ineedabetterusername]

"Every triangle is a love triangle when you love triangles."

-- Pythagoras (probably)

[KillerLettuce]

The only things I really knew about Pythagoras was that he had some theorems (whatever that is) and that he sent me on some quests that required me to sail all over Greece in Assassins Creed Odyssey.

[middleburyastrology]

Didn't hear this mentioned, but he was named after the pythia of Delphi (the oracle herself). Just saying his name would summon a powerful reference to the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo.

[MLMenjoyer]

Pythagoras LOVED beans so much he refused to trample a bean field when chased by his murderers. He instead chose to be killed. I think you called him a “hater of beans” because he recommended not to eat them. It’s because he respected the beans so much. Lol

[AneelIqbal]

Fascinating! It would be great if you cover more of these ancient cults.

[dr.gaosclassroom]

I am always fascinated by the cult of Pythagoras. I only start my explore on Mohism recently because Mohism had very little impact on Classical Chinese philosophies after the Warring State Period. The Mohism went underground after the Han Dynasty due to the persecutions from the Central Government. It becomes more like a secret society. There were only legends and stories and completely disappeared from the philosophical discussions until early 20th century when the work of Mozi was rediscovered!! I might do a video in the future about these two traditions in the future.

[bellatrixmoon]

It’s important to remember that the ancient form of “cult” is different then what we think of a cult in present times. It meant more like a subcategory of religion.

[-mrcy-]

I looked up the “Chruch of Pythagorean” because me and my friends made a whole inside joke over it, and this showed up. Didn’t know there was a cult beyond out fake cult we made from a joke (for context, me and my friends who sit together in Geometry made a group chat together, and during a tornado when we thought it was gonna hit our town, we made a joke about “praying to the pythagorean theorem” and a week later here we are. )

[umarahmad]

Very excited for the new chapter on Hellenistic Religion/Philosophy/Mystery schools. Though I’m sure you’ll eventually get to it, Heraclitus and Aristotelian metaphysics will be a great counterpart to Pythagoras’ and Plato’s Esoteric teachings.

[Deeplycloseted]

Do you think people were like, that weird triangle dude.”

[oleghrozman]

I have read the books of Peter Kingsley about Pythagoras and Pythagoreans (Parmenides & Empedocles). This figure (Pythagoras) is much more way interesting then we thought. And he was not a "bean hater". Beans were sacred - they had connections with Dionysus and Underground World. Touching beans was just like touching some meat.

[ariz]

I've only known he was a mystic because of some heavy obsession with esotericism and divinity I had as a kid and a teen. There's a Pythagorean numerological system that can read into your personality, your energy levels, spiritual needs and desires, destiny, mental capabilities, and strengths and weaknesses, all using your date of birth. some versions also use your name.

him being a shamanic leader, though, is new to me. thank you for this.

[sandkang]

this video connected so much random stuff I knew here and there together, I did not expect that id come out from a video about Pythagoras, realizing why the male and female gender symbols look the way they do, the connection between math and region in so many big religions, and that music theory came from philosophy.

[CliffSedge-nufv]

I think the "Pythagorean theorem" was so named, because it was known to the ancient Egyptians at least a thousand years before Pythagoras, and it is one of the "sacred" teachings he brought back from Egypt to share with what would then become "the Western world."

This is common in mathematics and science to name theorems and laws after people to honor them, not because they invemted it. Blaise Pascal did not invent "Pascal's triangle, " for example. The arithmetic triangle had been around for centuries or millennia prior. Pascal did make good use of it in developing modern probability theory, so his name gets attached to it in his honor.

[douglasturner]

The surviving evidence looks strong that Pythagoras was a Mystic. He believed the Soul was eternal and reincarnated from one body to the next according to a persons actions. His vegetarianism is quite consistent with these Mystic beliefs. In ancient times Mystics had to disguise their teachings in parables and stories. Jesus did the same thing.

[y_optimist]

My geometry teacher in high school always used to tell us that the pythagorean theorem would be the mot important thing to remember from the class. Knowing that the universe is made of geometrical shapes and equations is so fascinating and mind bending.

[NorthernChev]

One thing Pythagarus can never be called is, obtuse...

[amypetrie]

you are very talented - a master communicator of ideas. you would almost think religion ISNT controversial from the way you speak about it :)