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esoteric

philosophy and religion
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Article History

esoteric, the quality of having an inner or secret meaning. This term and its correlative exoteric were first applied in the ancient Greek mysteries to those who were initiated (eso, “within”) and to those who were not (exo, “outside”), respectively. They were then transferred to denote the distinction supposedly drawn by certain philosophers between the teaching given to the whole circle of their pupils and that containing a higher and secret philosophy which was reserved for a select number of privileged disciples. This distinction was probably adopted by the Pythagoreans and was also attributed to Plato and, by some late writers, to Aristotle. Esoteric in the sense of mystic is also used to describe certain schools of Buddhism.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.