The Pythagoreans believed that the universe was characterized by a mathematical harmony and that everything in nature was interrelated. Following this view point,they encouraged women to join their organization (it was very unusual for Greeks to look upon women as equal to men in any area),argued for the humane treatment of slaves, and, as mentioned, developed medical practices based on the assumption that health resulted from the harmonious workings of the body and illness resulted from some type of imbalance or discord.