İPSE DİXİT

Abstract

The Greek saying, αὐτοÌ€ς ἔϕα, used by the Pythagoreans in order to prove their claims by directly linking them to their master, was translated into Latin by Cicero as "ipse dixit (he himself said it)." Cicero asserted that this expression was a rhetorical art and as such mainly utilized to prove arguments that were solely based on belief. Yet it is better to analyse the original nature of this expression by relying on its usage during the time of Pythagoras. Such an analysis reveals Pythagoras' sui generis concept of education and the relationship between the sage and the follower, or, in others words, the strong bond of love between Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans at the school of philosophy where he put this concept into practise. This is the only way to rescue the "ipse dixit" from being a manifestation of rhetorics and to reinstate its original meaning.