Who was Pythagoras? This question might at first seem naive, yet it is totally justified. While so much has been said over the centuries about his teachings, nothing appears to be certain concerning the individual himself. A differentiation between what he himself taught, and Pythagorism during the period of its development, remains a matter of pure conjecture. The reason for this quandary is a set of inherent difficulties, beginning with the lack of contemporary sources regarding Pythagoras’s work and his teachings. He appears not to have produced any writings, or if he did, they have not survived.
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Vamvacas, C.J. (2009). Pythagoras of Samos (ca. 570–496 B.C.). In: The Founders of Western Thought – The Presocratics. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 257. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9791-1_7
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