Timaeus’ Teleological Mathematics: Normativity and Psychagogy

The aim of this article is to argue that the role of mathematics in the Timaeus should be understood not only in normative terms, as is commonly assumed, but also in a distinctive and typically overlooked way – namely, a psychagogical one. While leaving untouched the beauty and rigour of mathematics, the psychagogical reading makes the most of its ability to raise questions and ultimately to allow the soul to elevate to its divine origin through the challenges and paradoxes it presents. As a result, mathematics proves to be not only a stable, normative foundation of the universe due to its inherent order, symmetry, and proportion, but also a psychagogical, dynamic instrument of elevation that leads the soul in its effort to become godlike. Thus, the normative and psychagogical functions of mathematics turn to be not only fully compatible, but also mutually necessary, since only their interplay fully expresses the divine teleology.