Page 55 - STOLEN LEGACY By George G. M. James

5. Summum Bonum

According to Pythagoras, the supreme good in man is to become godlike. This transformation is
to be accomplished by virtue which is a union of opposites in man's faculties, i.e., the
subordination of man's lower nature to his higher nature. (Zeller's Hist. of Phil. p. 43). But the
precise purpose of the Egyptian Mysteries was to make a man godlike by the purificatory
agencies of education and virtue. Consequently it is clear that Pythagoras obtained this doctrine
directly from the Egyptian Mysteries. Hence it also follows that philosophers who have taught
this doctrine, must have obtained it, either directly from the Egyptian Mysteries, or indirectly,
through the teachings of Pythagoras. (According to Sallust, Deification or becoming godlike was
the purpose of the Egyptian Mysteries, and according to C. H. Vail in his Ancient Mysteries, the
Egyptian Summum Bonum consisted of five stages, during which the Neophyte developed from
a good man into a triumphant Master, attaining the highest spiritual consciousness by means of
casting off the ten bodily fetters and becoming an adept like Horus or Buddha or Christ).

The philosophers, besides Pythagoras, who are given credit with having taught the doctrine of
the Supreme Good, are (a) Socrates, who defined it as an attainment in which man becomes
godlike, through self-denial and the cultivation of the mind. (Xenophon Memorabilia I, 5, 4,) (b)
Plato who defined it as happiness which is the attainment of the Idea of the Good, which is God.
(Plato: Symposium 204E; Plato: Republic IV, 441, 443; Plato: Phaedo 64 sqq; Plato: Theaetetus
176 A). (c) Aristotle; who defined it as happiness which is based upon reason and which includes
all the gifts of fortune. It should be noted however that Aristotle's definition of the Supreme
Good marks the first departure from the concept of the Summum Bonum of the Egyptian
Mysteries; and the same thing is true of the Hedonists, who defined it as pleasure. (Wm. Turner's
Hist. of Phil. p. 153. Aristotle Ethics, Nic I, 6, 1097; Aristotle Ethics, Nic I, 9, 1099a, 31) The
conception of a Supreme Good is Egyptian, from which source Pythagoras and other
philosophers obtained the doctrine.

V. Summary of Conclusions Concerning Democritus

Because of the importance of the doctrine of the atom, and the great suspicion of his great
number of books like that of Aristotle, Democritus is treated separately, like each of the
Athenian philosophers.

1. His Life:

The same thing might be said of Democritus as might be said of any of the men who were called
Greek philosophers: nothing appears to be known about his early life and training. However he
comes into history attracting public attention, as a sorcerer and magician. (Turner's Hist. of Phil.
p. 65).

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Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James
The Journal of Pan African Studies 2009 eBook