Nobody before the Pythagorean had thought that mathematical relations held the secret of the universe. Twenty-five centuries later, Europe is still blessed and cursed with their heritage. To non-European civilizations, the idea that numbers are the key to both wisdom and power, seems never to have occurred.

Summary

This quote highlights the revolutionary impact of Pythagorean thinking on the perception of mathematics in the ancient world. It suggests that prior to Pythagoras, no one had recognized the profound influence of mathematical relationships on the workings of the universe. This concept has endured for 25 centuries in Europe, becoming both a source of enlightenment and a source of limitation. The quote goes on to imply that non-European civilizations did not share this same view, as the idea that numbers hold the key to wisdom and power seems to have been absent from their cultures.

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