As with the life of Pythagoras,
there is a lack on consensus over the details of the Pythagorean tradition.
This stems chiefly from its lack of a written tradition. It was only with
the writings of the Neopythagoreans
that we were able to get some written record of Pythagorean thought. Also,
there has been an accumulation of legends surrounding Pythagoras and his
school, and these make it hard to determine the true nature of Pythagoreanism.
In addition, other Greek philosophers, in particular Plato, used many Pythagorean
ideas in the development of their thought. This led to a tendency to interpret
Pythagorean ideas as Platonic. It is very difficulty to separate the original
Pythagorean teachings from those of later philosophers, because so many
of them were so widely used. However, the ideas central to the school do
remain reasonably clear.
The Pythagorean school seems to have begun in a form similar to a mystery religion. In fact, there is a claim that the Pythagoreans got many of their practices from Orphism. The school employed the use secret doctrines, initiation rites, and rules for religious life. Adherents of the school had to observe a strict code for religious life, which included vegetarianism, sexual purity, and refraining from speech about “the holy.” The ideas of the school seem to encompass both mathematical and philosophical principles and include: -Transmigration
of the soul, which provided a basis for the Pythagorean way of life
The above ideas were woven into a framework of philosophical study and religious life. Pythagoreanism was a “philosophical religion,” in that it embodied both aspects of religious life, and also the philosophical quest for knowledge. The Pythagoreans had many practices that could be associated with a mystery religion as stated above, but they also practiced philosophy. These two aspects of Pythagoreanism seem to have been both independent, and yet intimately connected. Adherents sought that distinctiveness of being in the “club” of Pythagoreanism, and yet there was a genuine and profound interest in the quest for knowledge, as laid out by Pythagoras. Although it is not totally clear, it appears that these two aspects existed in harmony, and the “religion” of Pythagoreanism helped to contribute to it as a school of philosophy. Pythagoreanism never had a written tradition, and teaching was based on oration. Because of this lack of a written tradition, Pythagoreanism was a constantly evolving force lacking continuity, and as it spread, so it adapted to its new environments. It appears that many of the religious practices remained constant, but it is not clear to the extent that they remained true to the beliefs of Pythagoras. As it grew in popularity, it is argued that its connection to the philisophical teachings of Pythagoras grew tenuous. However, it is unknown to what extent Pythagoreanism changed as it got farther from its founder.
|
