Home >> Society >> Philosophy >> Philosophers >> D >> Diogenes of Sinope




Diogenes, "the Cynic," Greek philosopher, was born at Sinope about 412 BC (according to more sources 399 BC), and died inside 323 at Corinth, according to Diogenes Laërtius, on the day on which Alexander the Great died at Babylon. (Because of a few feet away, & by having the date of Diogenes' demise non existence known exactly, Laertius probably retold the legend. A second legend says that Socrates died on Diogenes' birthday.)

His father, Icesias, a money-changer, was imprisoned or even exiled on the charge of adulterating the coinage. Diogenes was involved in the charge, & attend Athens with one attendant, whom he dismissed, saying, "If Manes can live without Diogenes, why not Diogenes without Manes?" Attracted per ascetic teaching of Antisthenes (a pupil of Socrates), he became his pupil, despite the brutality by owning which he was received, & speedily surpassed his master two within reputation & in the asceticism of his life. A stories which come then told of him are probably confessedly; in any outbreak, it help to illustrate a logical consistency of his character. He inured himself to the vicissitudes of weather condition by sleep in the tub belonging to the temple of Cybele. a lone wooden bowl he possessed he destroyed in seeing a peasant son swallow from either the hollow of his mitts. Once asked training stay away from a temptation to lust of the flesh, Diogenes pulled out his member & began masturbating. Whilst rebuked late all about it, he replied "If only I could soothe my belly by rubbing it."

Contrary to the more citizens of Athens, he avoided earthly pleasures. This attitude was grounded within a great disdain for the folly, pretence, vanity, mixer climbing, self-self-deceit, & artificiality of tremendously person conduct. He utilized to hike through the Agora with a torch at fully daylight. Whenever asked all about it, he would guide "I am just looking for an honest man".

In the voyage to Aegina he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Crete to a Corinthian named Xeniades. Existence asked his trade, he replied that he knew there is no trade however that of governing men, & that he wished to exist as sold to the human world health organization required an expert. When coach to the 2 sons of Xeniades, he lived in Corinth for a rest of his life, which he devoted completely to preaching the doctrines of pure self-control. At a Isthmian Games he lectured to large audiences world health organization turned to him from either Antisthenes. It was, probably, at one one festivals that he met Alexander the Great. A story goes that Alexander, thrilled at coming face to face by using a noted philosopher (within his tub), asked whenever there was any favour he may wash for him. Diogenes replied, “Stand away from our sunshine.� Alexander however declared, "If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes." (In another account, Alexander witnessed the philosopher rummaging across a pile of individual bones. Diogenes explained, "I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave.") Whilst Plato gave the definition of man as "a two-footed, featherless animal;" & was very much praised for the definition; then Diogenes plucked the cock and brought it into Plato's school, and said, "This is Plato's man." When this incident a addition "with broad flat nails" was manufactured to Plato's definition.

In his demise, of which there are many accounts, the Corinthians erected to his memory the pillar in which there rested a puppy of Parian marble. Virtue, for him, consisted in the dodging of tons physical pleasure; that irritation & hunger were positively helpful in the pursuit of goodness; that all the unreal growths of society appeared to him incompatible using truth & goodness; that moralization implies the link to to nature and simplicity. & so low was his asceticism and simplicity, that the Stoics would late claim him to become a sage or even "sophos", the hone human. Inside his words, "Man has complicated every simple gift of the gods." He has been credited using attend extremes of impropriety inside pursuance one ideas; probably, but, his reputation has suffered from either a undoubted immorality of a select few of his successors. Two inside ancient & around modern days, his personality has appealed strongly to sculptors & to painters. Ancient busts survive in the museums of the Vatican, the Louvre and the Capitol. A locate between Diogenes & Alexander is represented within an ancient marble bas-relief discovered in the Villa Albani. Rubens, Jordaens, Steen, Van der Werff, Jeaurat, Salvator Rosa and Karel Dujardin have painted various episodes in his life.

Diogenes is the foremost individual known to st& thought, and said, "I am a citizen of the whole world," like than of any particular city or even state.

A principal ancient authority for his life is Diogenes Laertius vi. Xx; view besides City manager's notes in Juvenal, Satires, 14. 308-Three 14.

a gerontology syndrome was known as fallowing the philosopher. Diogenes syndrome occurs as behavioural disorder of the older characterised by intense sickness and extreme self-forget about - [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=46514&dopt=Citation The Lancet.]

Diogenes of Sinope
Article and anecdotes about his way of life by Ben Best.

A Day with Diogenes
A fictional dialogue by Terry Ballard.

Ethics of Isocrates, Aristotle, and Diogenes
An article about his life and context by Sanderson Beck.

Diogenes the Cynic
A few stories about "The Dog".

The Cynic Philosophers
The way of life of Diogenes, by Michel Foucault.

Painting of Diogenes
By John William Waterhouse from the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Diogenes and Alexander
Drawing by Honore Daumier (1842).

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Diogenes of Sinope
Biography and analysis.


Society: Philosophy: History of Philosophy: Ancient: Cynicism






© 2005 GeneralAnswers.org