Pythagoras (570-495 BCE)

Daniel Toré looks beyond the mathematician to the philosopher.

- Daniel Toré

"Isn't he the guy that invented triangles?" - Student of mine, 2023

Pythagoras of Samos is, without dispute, one of the towering figures of ancient philosophy. Any first-time reader of classical philosophy will inevitably be welcomed by the Big Three: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and before leaving, they may give a polite glance at the Presocratics, before never looking back. However, in that over-the-shoulder moment, they will see some of the most intriguing and unique thinkers philosophy has to offer: Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and amongst their number, the only deer in the herd with horns: Pythagoras. Considered more than merely human by some of his followers, Plato described him as 'a semi-divine master'. Or to quote Anthony Kenny, he is “honoured in antiquity as the first to bring philosophy to the Greek world...” (An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy, 1998, p.1). Pythagoras also holds the VIP distinction of being a name recognised even by non-philosophers. However, even historians of philosophy might have a hard time describing his philosophical work, without just simply recalling how he was an influence on Plato. Still, it cannot be denied that the ripples created by this obscure character roughly 2,500 years ago are still moving today - although he himself is still a mystery.

How can somebody be that famous, and yet still unknown? That influential, and yet still ignored?

Simply put: just who exactly was Pythagoras?

Simply answered: we don't really know. In terms of both his work and biography, it's difficult to tell what can be accurately attributed to him and what's just a product of his fame.