Pythagoras was a mysterious Greek philosopher and teacher who lived from about 570 – 495 BC. His teachings influenced Plato and Aristotle among others, and thus Western philosophy broadly. While his actual life and teachings remain veiled by legend, Plato and Isocrates both state that above all, he was known as calling forth a new Way of life.
He taught of the immortality of the human soul, and therefore emphasized that the proper Way of Being was to keep one's soul Pure and properly harmonized with the Order and Harmony of the Universe.
His students were bound by vows of secrecy, shared their possessions in common, and studied religious, philosophical, musical, mathematical, and scientific theories. Aristotle and Cicero both reported that the philosophy of Plato was heavily informed by the Pythagorean teachings. Because of his influence on the philosophers that shaped Western philosophy, Pythagoras is regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of all time.
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