
Home was not where the heart was for the Enlightenment’s intellectuals - Thevet
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2020/02/the-restless-spirit-of-the-enlightenment/
======
dr_dshiv
Pythagoras was a child prodigy who traveled the world with the desire to meet
all the wisest in each land. He then assembled the knowledge into what he
called "philosophy". Integrating empirical science and communal spirituality,
he taught that the "cosmos" is made of math.

Source: Iamblichus, "Life of Pythagoras"

~~~
toohotatopic
It's less strange if you call it ma-the-matica, as in the-ology, pan-the-on,
...

~~~
leetcrew
you can think of it that way, but, etymologically, it is unrelated to those
words. the root "mathema" is more like "learning" or "knowledge".

~~~
dr_dshiv
Pythagoras had two types of students, the akoustikoi and the mathematikoi. The
latter had to take a 5 year vow of silence and live communally. Both men and
women -- and mixed races (specifically the Mongolian "visiting scholar",
Abaris)

Recent scholarship (Creese, Zhmud, Barker) attributes to the mathematikoi the
first hypothesis-driven experiments in the history of science -- testing
theories of Consonance and Dissonance.

~~~
Mediterraneo10
Can you cite the claim that Abaris came from Mongolia? Whoever would make such
a claim is speaking far too confidently. The details provided in the actual
Greek sources are ambiguous and could apply to anywhere in northern Eurasia.

~~~
dr_dshiv
Yes! Def. It is Peter Kingsley's new book, "a story waiting to pierce you". It
is very, very good.

~~~
Mediterraneo10
Alright, I see. I hope you understand that this book, published in New Age
circles, is a not a reputable work on history or even a reasonable pop-sci
distillation thereof. Consequently, I feel it is irresponsible to make the
claim in the post above.

~~~
dr_dshiv
Not so! Kinglsey is a great scholar and respected as such. This book is
extremely well referenced -- more than half the book is notes and references.
It also has a blurb from Walter Burkett just before he died. Yes, it's not
standard history -- and he takes a spiritual perspective. But it is extremely
appropriate for the subject matter.

Impuning the book because it is published in new age circles is unfair. I
recommend refreshing your perspective by reading "esotericism in the academy"
by Wouter Hanagraaf. Or, "western esotericism: a guide for the perplexed"

~~~
Mediterraneo10
> Kinglsey is a great scholar and respected as such

He is not however respected as a historian or archaeologist of Northern
Eurasia, which would allow him to claim that any figure in Greek history came
specifically from Mongolia. If he says in the book that this is merely his own
speculation, that would be fine, but the fact is that speculation is all it
would be.

> I recommend refreshing your perspective by reading "esotericism in the
> academy" by Wouter Hanagraaf. Or, "western esotericism: a guide for the
> perplexed"

Esoteric philosophy and its validity or lack thereof is irrelevant to the
historical–archaeological claim that you made in your post above.

~~~
dr_dshiv
> Esoteric philosophy and its validity or lack thereof is irrelevant to the
> historical–archaeological claim that you made in your post above.

I mentioned the work on esotericism in history in reference to the dismissal
of kinglsey on the basis of new age affiliation.

And speculation can be essential for creating plausible narratives in a world
with limited data. But I agree, speculation should always be labeled!

------
sktrdie
Is there any data on this? Seems to make sense but I don’t think the greatest
intellectuals of the past centuries say Newton, Mozart, Einstein, were avidly
interested in traveling. And even if they were, they could only reach a very
small fraction of what we can reach nowadays with planes.

~~~
jayeshsalvi
I agree. The article smells of confirmation bias.

~~~
woodandsteel
I disagree with you. One of the unusual, perhaps unique features of Western
civilization is the great hunger for direct knowledge of other societies and
other parts of the natural world outside the West. Think for instance of
Herodotus.

------
REDDitMen
When I travel and speak to locals, they are often very open and honest. Both
when I lightly press them for information on their condition, hopes and
aspirations - and when they are just happy to confide in and share something
personal with a complete stranger just passing through. Many touching moments,
often more memorable and enlightening than the beautiful places I visit.

