Diogenes

Not to be confused with Diogenes of Babylon.
For other uses, see Diogenes (disambiguation).
Diogenes of Sinope
Statue of Diogenes in Sinop, Turkey
Born412 or 404 BC
Died323 BC (aged 81 or 89)
Corinth, Macedonian Empire
EraAncient Greek philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolCynicism
Notable studentsCrates of Thebes
Notable ideas
Cosmopolitanism

Diogenes (/daɪˈɒdʒɪniːz/ dy-OJ-in-eez; Ancient Greek: Διογένης, romanized: Diogénēs [di.oɡénɛːs]), also known as Diogenes the Cynic (Διογένης ὁ Κυνικός, Diogénēs ho Kynikós) or Diogenes of Sinope, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism. He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia, in 412 or 404 BC and died at Corinth in 323 BC.[1]

Diogenes was a controversial figure. He was banished, or he fled, from Sinope over debasement of currency. He was the son of the mintmaster of Sinope, and there is some debate as to whether it was he, his father, or both who had debased the Sinopian currency.[2] After his hasty departure from Sinope he moved to Athens where he proceeded to criticize many conventions of Athens of that day. There are many tales about him following Antisthenes and becoming his "faithful hound".[3] Diogenes was captured by pirates and sold into slavery, eventually settling in Corinth. There he passed his philosophy of Cynicism to Crates, who taught it to Zeno of Citium, who fashioned it into the school of Stoicism, one of the most enduring schools of Greek philosophy.

No authenticated writings of Diogenes survive, but there are some details of his life from anecdotes (chreia), especially from Diogenes Laërtius' book Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers and some other sources.[4] Diogenes made a virtue of poverty. He begged for a living and often slept in a large ceramic jar, or pithos, in the marketplace.[5] He used his simple lifestyle and behavior to criticize the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt, confused society. He had a reputation for sleeping and eating wherever he chose in a highly non-traditional fashion and took to toughening himself against nature. He declared himself a cosmopolitan and a citizen of the world rather than claiming allegiance to just one place.

He modeled himself on the example of Heracles, believing that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. He became notorious for his philosophical stunts, such as carrying a lamp during the day, claiming to be looking for a "man" (often rendered in English as "looking for an honest man", as Diogenes viewed the people around him as dishonest and irrational). He criticized Plato, disputed his interpretation of Socrates, and sabotaged his lectures, sometimes distracting listeners by bringing food and eating during the discussions.[citation needed] Diogenes was also noted for having mocked Alexander the Great, both in public and to his face when he visited Corinth in 336 BC.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Laërtius 1925, §79
  2. ^ Diogenes of Sinope Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. By Julie Piering. Downloaded 14 June 2022.
  3. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 6, 18, 21; Dio Chrysostom, Orations, viii. 1–4; Aelian, x. 16; Stobaeus, Florilegium, 13.19
  4. ^ IEP
  5. ^ Desmond, William (2008). Cynics. University of California Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780520258358. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  6. ^ Laërtius 1925, §32; Plutarch, Alexander, 14, On Exile, 15.
  7. ^ Plutarch, Alexander 14
  8. ^ John M. Dillon (2004). Morality and Custom in Ancient Greece. Indiana University Press. pp. 187–88. ISBN 978-0-253-34526-4.