The Importance of Sacred Mathematics in the Advance of Science
Section 1: Introduction
Within this paper, I will argue that the viewpoint that divinity and mathematics were interrelated was a common and important motivator in the advancement of the sciences. In the modern age, a common view is that science and religion are opposites and that belief in one means refutation of the other to some degree. However, we can look back through history and see that the exact opposite is commonly true. Religion and science were hand in hand from the days of Pythagoras and as recent as Kepler.
In the immediately following section, I will list commonly used terms in this paper and offer definitions for them. Most importantly in that section, I will define …show more content…
Within this paper when I refer to science or the sciences I mean the study of the natural world or the use of this data for practical means. Common examples of this would be physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Mathematics refers to the fields of study that are concerned with number, quantity, shapes, spaces, and their respective relationships. Common examples are algebra, geometry, and calculus.
Sacred mathematics is the central term to this paper so its definition will be more in depth. First off, sacred mathematics can be either a belief or a process. One can believe in it or it can describe what one does. That being said, there are two main clauses that define sacred mathematics. The first clause is the belief in a supernatural or divine creator. The second clause is more complex: it is either belief that math comes from this creator; or that math can be used to describe this creator. The second clause is meant to describe the interconnectedness between mathematics and the creator, specifically that it can be a two-way connection, or one-way in either direction. For example, using math to describe God is one-way, but using math to describe God and believing that He used math to create the universe is two-way. Both of these examples would be sacred …show more content…
Pythagoras of Samos was a Greek philosopher and mathematician born in or around 570BCE (Riedweg ix). He is most commonly known for his mathematical achievements. His theorem, a2 + b2 = c2, is used to describe the relationship between the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. He is credited with uniting the study of numbers, lines, geometry, and celestial bodies from disparate nations (Dillon 158). It was also said that he had perfected geometry after learning of its foundations from the Egyptians (Jacoby 140).
Pythagoras wasn’t only a mathematician though, he was also known as a philosopher and even a leader of a cult (Riedweg x). His followers elevated him to an above human status, with sayings such as “Two-footed is a human being, and a bird, and a third thing as well,” with the third thing referring to Pythagoras (Dillon 143). They viewed it as important to accept the things said by him as issuing from a higher power. Many sources clearly show that Pythagoras was viewed in a super human status by his followers (Riedweg
Section 1: Introduction
Within this paper, I will argue that the viewpoint that divinity and mathematics were interrelated was a common and important motivator in the advancement of the sciences. In the modern age, a common view is that science and religion are opposites and that belief in one means refutation of the other to some degree. However, we can look back through history and see that the exact opposite is commonly true. Religion and science were hand in hand from the days of Pythagoras and as recent as Kepler.
In the immediately following section, I will list commonly used terms in this paper and offer definitions for them. Most importantly in that section, I will define …show more content…
Within this paper when I refer to science or the sciences I mean the study of the natural world or the use of this data for practical means. Common examples of this would be physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Mathematics refers to the fields of study that are concerned with number, quantity, shapes, spaces, and their respective relationships. Common examples are algebra, geometry, and calculus.
Sacred mathematics is the central term to this paper so its definition will be more in depth. First off, sacred mathematics can be either a belief or a process. One can believe in it or it can describe what one does. That being said, there are two main clauses that define sacred mathematics. The first clause is the belief in a supernatural or divine creator. The second clause is more complex: it is either belief that math comes from this creator; or that math can be used to describe this creator. The second clause is meant to describe the interconnectedness between mathematics and the creator, specifically that it can be a two-way connection, or one-way in either direction. For example, using math to describe God is one-way, but using math to describe God and believing that He used math to create the universe is two-way. Both of these examples would be sacred …show more content…
Pythagoras of Samos was a Greek philosopher and mathematician born in or around 570BCE (Riedweg ix). He is most commonly known for his mathematical achievements. His theorem, a2 + b2 = c2, is used to describe the relationship between the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. He is credited with uniting the study of numbers, lines, geometry, and celestial bodies from disparate nations (Dillon 158). It was also said that he had perfected geometry after learning of its foundations from the Egyptians (Jacoby 140).
Pythagoras wasn’t only a mathematician though, he was also known as a philosopher and even a leader of a cult (Riedweg x). His followers elevated him to an above human status, with sayings such as “Two-footed is a human being, and a bird, and a third thing as well,” with the third thing referring to Pythagoras (Dillon 143). They viewed it as important to accept the things said by him as issuing from a higher power. Many sources clearly show that Pythagoras was viewed in a super human status by his followers (Riedweg