Alexander Morpheigh is the author of the new book The Pythagorean. He is also a computer engineer.
Q: What inspired you to write The Pythagorean?
A: From the moment I first encountered Plato’s Dialogues, I was drawn to ancient Greek philosophy as a way to engage with life’s most profound questions. The philosophers of antiquity weren’t merely concerned with abstract theories. They saw philosophy as a means of creating harmony in our world.
Plato, in particular, emphasized that philosophy is deeply tied to human connections—how we relate to one another and how we understand our own existence. This idea has resonated across centuries and remains just as meaningful today.
Pythagoras, who is credited with coining the very word philosophy, believed that ultimate wisdom belongs only to the divine, while humans can only strive to be lovers of wisdom. That notion—of philosophy as a lifelong pursuit rather than a fixed body of knowledge—was a guiding force as I wrote The Pythagorean.
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: Several years ago, I sponsored the production of a documentary about modern-day Pythagorean societies. The crew and I met many modern followers of Pythagoras—many of whom were distinguished scientists and university professors.
The discussions we had with them provided invaluable insights that shaped the scientific and philosophical themes of the book. The way that these thinkers drew from ancient wisdom in their everyday lives, especially dealing with modern issues, was a central inspiration for this book.
Q: How did you create your character Theodore?
A: I have a 24-year-old son who is a software developer and a quintessential representative of the modern cynic generation. When shaping Theo's character—his life and behavior—I simply reflected on how my son would react or what he would say in various situations.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I wanted to shine a light on thought-provoking scientific and philosophical perspectives not yet accepted into the mainstream.
Most of the contemporary Pythagoreans I met work in advanced scientific fields. Despite their brilliance and expertise, they were still searching for beyond knowledge itself—a deeper understanding of their purpose as human beings. That search led them to Pythagoras and his fascinating contributions to the field of philosophy.
Since what we seek most in life is meaning—and some don’t find it in popular religion or commonly-accepted scientific truths—I believe there are insights of Ancient Greek philosophy that may have fallen out of style, but that could hold many of the meanings we’ve lost over time.
My hope is that my readers will find something meaningful within the pages of this book.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Honestly, I wasn’t sure at first. The Pythagorean was published also in other languages, and when hundreds of readers subscribed to my future books on online platforms, I thought—if people resonated with the ideas in The Pythagorean, why not introduce them to other great thinkers of antiquity, like Plato and Confucius?
That’s when I decided that my next book—a continuation—would be about exactly that. The events will still take place in The Pythagorean universe, but now in the modern world.
Just imagine—one day in 2024, an elderly man arrives at an emergency hospital, suffering from memory loss. It turns out to be none other than Plato himself! And he ends up sharing a hospital room with another patient who has the same diagnosis—Confucius!
Of course, they are both on a secret mission, and along the way, they will share their timeless wisdom with the other characters—and, naturally, with the readers.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Most of the so-called "miracles" in this book come from conversations with renowned scientists — physicists, astronomers, and mathematicians—who are themselves modern-day Pythagoreans.
The entire theory of time structure and time travel? That came from discussions with a nuclear physics professor.
The idea of two-dimensional worlds? That was inspired by my conversations with a mathematics professor.
And the same is true for most of the "extraordinary" events depicted in the book.
Let me even share a little secret with you: the final part of Indiana Jones 5 movie is about the Antikythera mechanism. The actual device was deciphered by an astrophysics professor at the University of Athens—who also happens to be a member of the Pythagorean society. He published a book about his discovery.
He once told me that when they disassembled the Antikythera mechanism in the university lab, they examined the gears under a powerful lens—and saw a Pythagorean symbol engraved on each one! As he recounted this moment to me, tears streamed down his face.
I asked him, “Why are you crying?” And he replied, “Because those who created the Antikythera mechanism left us a message: We are Pythagoreans, and we want you to know it!”
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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