Diogenes

Diogenes
Short Biography:

Born in Sinope, Diogenes (412 BC – 323 BC), usually referred to as Diogenes of Sinope, was a famous Cynic philosopher. After being exiled from his birth city-state for defacing currency, he traveled to Athens and found his life driven in opposition of society’s lust for luxuries upon hearing Antisthenes’ teachings. He walked the streets of Athens with few possessions and little money, happily living in poverty. By people he, and the Cynics, are referred to as dogs. Being called so though their imitation of dogs, preferring them to life a more natural, ascetic life the Cynics wish to impose on their corrupt society. Diogenes expressed his teachings through modelling a simple life and philosophical conduct. When approached by Alexander the Great and offered any favor the old philosopher wish for, Diogenes responded, “Stand a little less between me and the sun.” Diogenes was once seen searching through the crowds on a street with a lit lantern, claiming to be searching for an “honest man." Diogenes’s philosophical rival was Plato, a pupil of the famous Socrates. Upon hearing Plato’s definition of man, Diogenes took the feathers off a fowl and claimed, “Here is Plato’s man.” To which Plato added to the definition, “…with broad flat nails.” After being seized by pirates, Diogenes arrived in Corinth. When being sold into slavery, Diogenes simply asked to be sold to a man who needed a master, to which Xeniades responded by taking him in and allowing his to be a tutor for his children. How Diogenes died is unsure, though it is thought he suffered from an infectious dog bite or consumption of raw seafood.

Unfortunately, none of Diogenes’ written work has been found, though it is said he has written books.

Philosophical Overview: Diogenes is the one of most famous of the Cynics. Cynics believe in moral virtue and harmonious living with nature. They rejected the initial idea where happiness derives from possessions and physical material. Diogenes saw corruption in society’s desire for wealth and power to reach happiness. Diogenes teaches through action, laying down a seemingly hateful attitude, but laced his teaching and dialogue with wise words. Diogenes and the Cynics were referred to as dogs for multiple reasons including their shameless demeanor, for example, they would masturbate, eat, drink, urinate, defecate, make love, and commit other actions in public that citizens would only perform in privacy. Diogenes was once eating breakfast in public and people scoffed around him calling him a dog, to which Diogenes responded, “It is you who are dogs, when you stand round and watch me at my breakfast.” As a cosmopolitan, when asked where he was from he would respond, “I am a citizen of the world.” No writing of Diogenes survived, though it is said he wrote 10 books. When asked about his death, he asked to be thrown to the dogs as food, rejecting the idea of proper burial.
 * While masturbating in public he said, “I wish it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing the belly.”


 * “When a slave auctioneer asked in what he was proficient, he replied, ‘In ruling people.’”


 * When seeing a child drink from the river with only his hands, Diogenes smashed his bowl on the ground saying, “A child has beaten me in the plainness of living.'"


 * “When someone boasted that at the Pythian games he had vanquished men, Diogenes replied, ‘Nay, I defeat men, you defeat slaves.’"


 * When purchased by Xeniades, Diogenes told him, “Come see that you obey orders.”

References:

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/greece/hetairai/diogenes.html

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/diogenes.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism_(philosophy)

www.iep.utm.edu/cynics/

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekphilosoph1/g/052809Cynicism.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

Pictures (Pictures belong to their rightful owners, I own neither one of the pictures):

http://classicalwisdom.com/diogenes-of-sinope/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diogenes_looking_for_a_man_-_attributed_to_JHW_Tischbein.jpg 