Recently, a lot of attention has been devoted to the puzzling decision of the ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagoras. Many scholars have spent substantial time trying to understand why he took a seemingly paradoxical decision. This article attempts to explain the rational behind this decision.
Pythagoras’s decision was to firstly accept students who had already taken a vow of silence, secondly to keep them to a vow of silence, and finally, to ask them to pass on knowledge through a combination of numbers and symbols. This means that the majority of the students were not allowed to speak; rather, they had to communicate through a specific set of numbers and symbols which represented the material they had studied.
This was a highly controversial and paradoxical decision because it was not the norm for ancient Greek philosophers. The main reason why Pythagoras took this decision was because he believed that communication through words was not the best way to share knowledge. He felt that facts and truths were best understood and communicated through an abstract system of numbers and symbols, which he called “the secret language”.
By adopting this approach, Pythagoras was able to convey his ideas in a much clearer and more accurate manner than if he simply used words. He was also able to communicate his ideas to his students without any ambiguity or misunderstanding. This enabled him to teach and impart knowledge in a much more precise and accurate way. Furthermore, this system of communication also enabled the students to better demonstrate their understanding of the material.
In addition to this, Pythagoras’s decision to restrict communication through words was also seen as a practical measure in order to ensure that the secret knowledge of the school would not be shared outside the confines of the school. By preventing the students from communicating in words, it ensured that outsiders would not be able to hear or understand what was being taught and discussed within the school.
Finally, it should be noted that this decision was also advantageous for the students themselves. By restricting their speech, it enabled them to focus their energies on understanding and mastering the material, which in turn, helped them become better and more knowledgeable students.
In conclusion, the puzzling decision of Pythagoras to first accept students who had already taken a vow of silence, and then to restrict their speech through symbols and numbers, was taken due to his belief that communication through words was not the best way to share knowledge; rather, he felt that facts and truths were best understood and communicated through an abstract system of numbers and symbols. In addition, this decision enabled Pythagoras to impart knowledge in a much more precise and accurate way and also ensured that the secret knowledge of the school would not be shared outside the confines of the school.
