Hypatia of Alexandria: A philosopher for polarized times
What a 5th Century mathematician offers us today
The Book:
Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher
Edward J. Watts
Oxford University Press
2017
The Talk:
In 415 AD the pagan mathematician and philosopher Hypatia was murdered by a mob of Christian conspiracy theorists on the streets of Alexandria, who tore her body apart and burned it outside the city. The event shocked the Greek-speaking Mediterranean world. The emperor in Constantinople launched an official investigation into her death, and it remained a dark mark on reputation of Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria, who had fanned the flames of mob violence against her, for the remainder of his life and for posterity.
Why was the death of this woman philosopher so shocking? Who was she, and why has her life and death been remembered for over 1,600 years?
Edward Watts’ short biography of Hypatia is an excellent introduction into her remarkable life, her world, and her reception through the centuries. Although there are plenty of gaps in her life story, Watts does a good job of providing historical context to explain what she was likely doing and why she was likely doing it.
The bridge between worlds
As a teenager, Hypatia showed a remarkable talent for math, and she helped teach classes in her father’s mathematics school. Eventually, her father retired and placed her in charge of the school. She edited a version of Ptolemy’s Almagest, essentially rewriting the primary mathematics textbook of the day and explicating its ideas.
At that time, mathematicians and philosophers in Alexandria were in opposing camps. The mathematicians thought the philosophers were not rigorous enough in their proofs; the philosophers thought the mathematicians were bogged down in nitpicky details. Notably, Hypatia combined mathematics and philosophy together, teaching both in the same school and creating a synthesis of the two disciplines.
The other great divide of her age was between pagans and Christians. Christians were growing across the Mediterranean, and Christian bishops were becoming more powerful in urban areas, threatening political rule in many cities. Alexandria was a majority Christian city when Hypatia was an educator. She herself was a pagan, but she taught many elite Christian males who were very proud of their association with her. She taught a version of Neoplatonism that was acceptable to both Christians and pagans alike, and she had good relationships with prominent Christians in town.
Unlikely other women philosophers of her time, she offered public courses that were open to anyone, and she was known for living a life of temperance and prudence. She taught the virtue of platonic (non-erotic) love, and had a reputation for living it out while spending her time mostly with young men.
A turn toward anarchy
Nevertheless, during the course of her adult life, the cultural and social climate was rapidly changing. A new version of Neoplatonism was emerging that moved away for the rational rigor of Plotinus toward pagan sacrifices, rituals, oracles, astrology, and theurgy (essentially magic). Unsurprisingly, this new approach to philosophy was not compatible with Christianity. At the same time, the rise of Christianity was leading to crackdowns against pagans and calls to “cleanse” cities of all traces of polytheism.
Civil and religious unrest in Alexandria drew Hypatia out of the classroom and into the world of civic politics. She began advising the prefect, Orestes, attempting to help him find solutions that would restore peace and order. For the majority of the city, this was seen as a promising move. Hypatia was neutral, widely beloved and respected on both sides. She was a pagan but with good ties to Christians, and she was known for her wisdom and decency.
Even so, a minority of Christians, spurred on by the newly installed bishop, began to spread rumors that Hypatia was using magic, music, and astrolabes to put the prefect under her control. This made no sense to those who knew her, but it provided a rationalization for why the political leader of Alexandria was not simply acquiescing to the bishop. Out of this fervor, a mob formed, hunting the city for Hypatia. Watts thinks its unlikely they meant to kill her, but she was found in public, either on the streets or in her classroom, and the situation spun out of control.
A philosopher for our times
In the centuries following, up to present day, Hypatia has been known mostly for her death. But her death only created such an earthquake because of her notable talent and the character of her life.
As a woman in a world of men, she was an exceptionally gifted mathematician and philosopher who ran one of the best schools in late antiquity for 35 years. (Her only true rival was Plutarch in Athens, who was a rising challenger of the theurgic school.)
In a world of social strife, she lived with integrity and character and generosity, to the point that her house was often flocked by visitors seeking her help and advice.
In the face of an either/or world, she put herself forward as a bridge—between genders, between disciplines, between religious and political divides. When her city needed her guidance, she stepped forward in dangerous times for the common good of everyone.
We, too, live in polarized and partisan times. And it can often seem like being a “moderate” is a wishy-washy thing. Oh, some might say, moderates (on any dimension) just want to please everybody. They are trying to have it both ways. They don’t like conflict. They are ignorant of the true stakes.
But Hypatia’s life expresses the courage of being the bridge—of being in the challenging middle, working for the common good, and keeping oneself grounded at the same time. Nothing about Hypatia’s life sounds easy. Nothing she did was the default position for her times. Neither did she solve the divisions of her times. (Her life was followed by years of Christian persecution of pagans.) But she did leave us with this: an example of a noble life worth emulating.