PDA

View Full Version : Pythagoras


Athena
08-04-2006, 09:57 AM
Pythagoras, and the Hebrews who developed Qabalah and the Mayans all believed that numbers have mystical powers. Now this can be kind of tricky. We can assign a number to a mystical power, and then the number only represents the mystical power, and think this is what Qabalah and the Mayans did, but the number is not that power. However, Pythagoras appears to have thought the numbers themselves have mystical power. This seems superstitious to me. However, he set the ground work for explaining the universe with numbers, that is the foundation of modern math/science. It is possible to explain just about everything in mathematical terms. Christian Europe didn't think in these terms. Can you grasp the exciting difference in these ways of precieving reality? One relies on superstition and the other relies on math and science, and each is a different way of precieving God and His manifestion. Or we can blend superstition and science and get many flavors of belief.

Pythagorean Theorem In Pythagoras’ time however, these numbers frightened Pythagoras greatly and he forbore any of his followers to mention these words to the public. ...
members.aol.com/raspdou/10.htm - 9k - Cached - Similar pages


When Pythagoras sat down and studied his Theorem more carefully, he noticed that there were some numbers that did not work. These numbers were, as we know them today, are irrational numbers.....

Pythagoras and his close ‘ring’ of associates did not work like a mathematics research group does it in a modern university or other institution. There were no open problems for them to solve and they were not interested in trying to formulate or solve mathematical problems. Instead, Pythagoras was interested in the principles of mathematics, the concept of number, the concept of the triangle or other mathematical figure in the abstract idea of a proof. Pythagoras also thought that all relations could be reduced to number relations, in other words thinking everything is numbers.

It was Pythagoras focus on concepts that moved his study from superstition to science, although at the time he was submerged in superstitious ideas. His understanding of math came from Egypt and Babylon which would be completely sacred mysticism. What made the Greeks unique was this strange focus on concepts and development of a system of logic to understand concepts. Making Pathagoras a transition between mysticism and a scientific understanding of reality.

We once used the Conceptual Method for education, teaching increasing more complex concepts. Education for technology dropped this focus on concepts and focus on the memorization of facts, and from there you either know the right facts or you don't. This very destructive to democracy. Very destructive! It also makes this exchange of thought in forums very difficult. Instead of being excited by new ideas, it seems several people are delighting in slaying me in combat, as the US engaged in a foolish war to control areas of the mid east. We are reduced to the mentality of brutes, and this could destroy us.

Labrocca
08-05-2006, 02:10 PM
I find numbers to be fascinating. Math was a passion of mine for a couple years. Geometry in particular seems especially interesting. Athena...how long you been on this Greek kick of yours?

Athena
08-06-2006, 03:18 AM
I have a very fickle mind and study a lot of stuff all at once.Â*Â*I couldn't put a time on how long I have studied Greek stuff, but let's get into math if you like that.:D

Google: golden mean.Â*Â*This is mind blowing stuff.Â*Â*Keep in mind, the Greeks got the math from Egypt.Â*Â*The pharoah was so very important because he had to hold everything in order, or chaos would take over and all would be destroyed.Â*Â*They were obsessed with math and form and order.

The book "A Beginner's guide to Constructing the Universe- The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science" by Michael S, Schneider, is excellent for getting into the consciousness of the ancients.Â*Â* This book explains sacred math.Â*Â*"In ancient Greece the advanced students of the philosopher Pythagoras who were engaged in deep studies of natural science and self-understanding were called mathematekoi, "those who studied all".Â*Â*The word mathema signified "learning in general" and was the root of the Old English mathein, "to be aware," and the Old German munthen, "to awaken."Â*Â*Today, the word math has, for most people, constricted its scope to emphasize mundane measurement and mere manipulaton of quantities.Â*Â*We've unwittingly traded wide-ranging vision for narrow expertise....

To the ancients the "sacred" had a particular significance involving consciousness and the profound mystery of awareness....Sacred space is within us.Â*Â*Not in our body or brain cells but in the volume of our consciousness.Â*Â*Wherever we go we bring the sacred within us to the sacred around us."Â*Â*Â*Â*

I can't control myself. I have to say the Statue of Liberty holds a book for literacy and a torch for the enlightenment that results from literacy.
Well, math should surely be part of our studies, so we can see the patterns of the world. Another good book is Ian Stewart's "Nature's Numbers". And remember the druids had a special affinity for the triad.
"The Triad has a special beauty and fairness beyond all numbers, primarly because it is the very first to make actual the potentialities of the Monad." Iamblichus (c. 250- c. 330, Greek Neoplatonic philospher). The Greeks and Durids got along, but not the Roman's and Druids. Anyway, it is this mind stuff that separates us from the animals, and when we see all things as sacred, and we can feel the awe, well, isn't that pleasurable?