Pythagoras and the Doctrine of Transmigration
eBook - PDF

Pythagoras and the Doctrine of Transmigration

Wandering Souls

  1. 224 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Pythagoras and the Doctrine of Transmigration

Wandering Souls

About this book

The mythical narrative of transmigration tells the story of myriad wandering souls, each migrating from body to body along a path of recurrence amid the becoming of the All. In this highly original study, James Luchte explores the ways in which the concept of transmigration is a central motif in Pythagoras' philosophy, representing its fundamental meaning. Luchte argues that the many strands of the tale of transmigration come together in the Pythagorean philosophical movement, revealing a unity in which, for Pythagoreans, existence and eschatology are separated only by forgetfulness. Such an interpretation that seeks to retrieve the unity of Pythagorean thought goes against the grain of a long-standing tradition of interpretation that projects upon Pythagoras the segregation of 'mysticism' and 'science'. Luchte lays out an alternative interpretation of Pythagorean philosophy as magical in the sense that it orchestrates a holistic harmonization of theoria and praxis and through this reading discloses the radical character of Pythagorean philosophy.

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Yes, you can access Pythagoras and the Doctrine of Transmigration by James Luchte in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Ancient & Classical Philosophy. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Introduction: The Poetic Topos of the Doctrine of Transmigration
  4. 1 Genealogy of the Doctrine of Transmigration
  5. 2 Beyond Mysticism and Science: Symbolism and Philosophical Magic
  6. 3 The Emergence of Mystic Cults and the Immortal Soul
  7. 4 Philolaus and the Character of Pythagorean Harmony
  8. 5 The Alleged Critique of Pythagoras by Parmenides
  9. 6 Between the Earth and the Sky: On the Pythagorean Divine
  10. 7 The Pythagorean Bios and the Doctrine of Transmigration
  11. 8 The Platonic Rupture: Writing and Difference
  12. 9 Plotinus: The Ascent of the Soul toward the One
  13. 10 Plotinus as Neoplatonic Mystic: Letter to Flaccus
  14. Epilog: The Fate of the Doctrine of Transmigration
  15. Notes
  16. References and Further Reading
  17. Index