Volume 3: 1771 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica!
Pythagoreans
Pythagoreans, a sect of ancient philosophers, so called from their
being the followers of Pythagoras of Samos, who lived in the reign of
Tarquin the last king of the Romans, in the year of Rome 220; or, according
to Livy, in the reign of Servius Tullius, in the year of the world
3472.
His maxims of morality were admirable; for he was for having the study of
philosophy solely tend to elevate man to a resemblance of the Deity. He
believed that God is a soul diffused through all nature, and that from him
human souls are derived; that they are immortal; and that men need only
take pains to purge themselves of their vices, in order to be united to the
Deity. He made unity the principle of all things; and believed, that
between God and man there are various orders of spiritual beings, who are
the ministers of the Supreme Being. He condemned all images of the Deity,
and would have him worshipped with as few ceremonies as possible. His
disciples brought all their goods into a common stock, contemned the
pleasures of sense, abstained from swearing, eat nothing that had life, and
believed in the doctrine of a metempsychosis. See METEMPSYCHOSIS.
Pythagoras made his scholars undergo a severe noviciate of silence for at
least two years; and it is said, that where he discerned too great an itch
for talking, he extended it to five. His disciples were therefore divided
into two classes: of which the first were simple hearers; and the last such
as were allowed to propose their difficulties, and learn the reasons of all
that was taught there. The Pythagoreans, it is said, on their rising from
bed, roused the mind with the sound of the lyre, in order to make them more
fit for the actions of the day; and at night resumed the lyre, in order to
prepare themselves for sleep, by calming all their tumultuous thoughts.
The figurative manner in which he gave his instructions, was borrowed from
the Hebrews, Egyptians, and other orientals. Some think he derived his
philosophy from the books of Moses, and that he conversed with Ezekiel and
Daniel at Babylon; but this is mere conjecture.
Some authors say, that he left nothing in writing; but Laërtius and others
attribute several treatises to him. His golden verses, attributed by some to one
of his disciples, are allowed to be an exact copy of the sentiments of that
divine philosopher, from whose school proceeded the greatest philosophers
and legislators.