Pythagorean table of opposites

E375057

The Pythagorean table of opposites is an ancient philosophical schema that arranges reality into paired contrasting principles (such as limited/unlimited and odd/even) to explain the structure and harmony of the cosmos.

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Pythagorean table of opposites canonical 1

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Predicate Object
instanceOf Pythagorean doctrine
ancient Greek philosophy concept
cosmological theory
metaphysical schema
ontological dualism
philosophical concept
associatedWith Aristotle
Pythagoras
basedOn pairs of contrary principles
coreIdea cosmic order arises from the relation of contraries
reality is structured by opposites
describedIn Aristotle’s Metaphysics I.5
Metaphysics by Aristotle
developedBy Pythagoreanism
surface form: Pythagorean school
epistemicStatus known mainly through secondary reports
hasCategory cosmological properties
ethical qualities
mathematical properties
spatial properties
hasForm list of paired opposites
table
hasPurpose to account for cosmic harmony
to classify fundamental principles
to explain the structure of reality
includesOppositePair good / bad
light / darkness
limited / unlimited
male / female
odd / even
one / plurality
rest / motion
right / left
square / oblong
straight / curved
influenced Aristotelian metaphysics
Platonic philosophy
Western dualistic thought
later Greek metaphysics
interpretedAs early systematic classification of contraries
symbolic representation of cosmic order
languageOfOrigin Ancient Greek
philosophicalTheme duality
harmony
order
primarySource Aristotle’s report of Pythagorean doctrines
relatedTo Pythagoreanism
surface form: Pythagorean cosmology

Pythagoreanism
surface form: Pythagorean ethics

On Pythagorean Numbers
surface form: Pythagorean number theory
timePeriod 5th century BCE

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Pythagoreanism associatedWith Pythagorean table of opposites