But with the growing advancement of society, these self-proclaimed cynics toned down Diogenes ideals. But instead of asking about material wealth, Diogenes simply replied- ‘Stand out of my sunlight.’ And even after the death of Diogenes, his followers continued his philosophy.įor about the next 900 years, his followers called themselves ‘cynics’, until 500 CE. Perhaps one of the most famous encounters of Diogenes was with Alexander the Great, he came to Diogenes offering to grant any desire of his. They live with extreme simplicity, inured to wants, and deprived of shame. These people were drawn to the freedom of a wandering lifestyle deprived of cooked food, lavish homes, and human desires of greed. This ‘Kynikoi’ designation eventually became the word cynic. This philosophy of Diogenes soon attracted several followers and they all were known as “dog philosophers” or Kynikoi.
#Diogenes of sinope lantern free
But this name didn’t bother Diogenes, instead, he was quite happy to be compared with dogs as according to his philosophy they were a good symbol- free from the world of material happiness. However, for the citizens, his shameful way of life was not acceptable and he was thus called by several names including a Kyon- a barking dog. He ate, urinated, and even masturbated in public without any shame. Though he didn’t practice his new existence quietly and would mock and tease those who were powerful.Īnd yet he was an irascible character, he never cared much about people’s opinion.
His way of living meant eating raw fresh food and appreciating all natural things. He would roam around cities and weathers with just his blanket and a knapsack. He started living self sufficiently close to nature without worrying about the measures of societal success. His ideals were awakened while in exile, he rejected all the modern advances and connected with nature only to realize that this is the way for him to be truly free.
Though details about his life are unclear, his ideals lived and are still practiced by many. When the dust was cleared, Diogenes was stripped of his power, wealth, and citizenship. He counterfeited the city coins and used them for personal profit. It was in the 4th century BCE that the city of Sinope was in a mid of scandal caused by a banker’s son, Diogenes. To put it simply in the 21st century, a cynic would be a great asset in solving climate crises.īut do you know how the word cynic first originated? Diogenes of Sinope is considered a philosopher of Cynicism.ĭiogenes was a citizen of Athens who was exiled due to his bank fraud. It refers to a life lived close to nature without any means to modern-day advancement. Yet the ancient meaning of cynic was much different, a cynic had no property and rejects all conventional values of money, fame, power, and reputation. It is an approach that people usually use in a derogatory sense, like politicians often use to defame opposition and celebrities to the media. Cynicism as per definition is an inclination to believe that people are motivated by self-interest, scepticism.
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