The Cynic Philosophers

Author : Diogenes of Sinope,Julian,Lucian
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780141939308

Get Book

The Cynic Philosophers by Diogenes of Sinope,Julian,Lucian Pdf

'Poverty does not consist in the want of money,' I answered, 'nor is begging to be deplored. Poverty consists in the desire to have everything, and through violent means if necessary' From their founding in the fifth century BC and for over 800 years, the Cynic philosophers sought to cure humanity of greed and vice with their proposal of living simply. They guaranteed happiness to their adherents through freedom of speech, poverty, self-sufficiency and physical hardiness. In this fascinating and completely new collection of Cynic writing through the centuries, from Diogenes and Hipparchia, to Lucian and the Roman emperor Julian, the history and experiences of the Cynic philosophers are explored to the full. Robert Dobbin's introduction examines the public image of the Cynics through the ages, as well as the philosophy's contradictions and how their views on women were centuries ahead of their time. This edition also includes notes on the text, chronology, glossary and suggested further reading. Translated, edited and with an introduction by Robert Dobbin

Author : Diogenes,Diogenes the Cynic,
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2012-05-10
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199589241

Get Book

Sayings and Anecdotes by Diogenes,Diogenes the Cynic, Pdf

A unique edition of the sayings of Diogenes, whose biting wit and eccentricity inspired the anecdotes that express his Cynic philosophy. It includes the accounts of his immediate successors, such as Crates and Hipparchia, and the witty moral preacher Bion. The contrasting teachings of the Cyrenaics and the hedonistic Aristippos complete the volume.

Author : David Mazella
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 0813926157

Get Book

The Making of Modern Cynicism by David Mazella Pdf

Asks: how did ancient Cynic philosophy come to provide a name for its modern, unphilosophical counterpart, and what events caused such a dramatic reversal of cynicism's former meanings? This work traces the concept of cynicism from its origins as a philosophical way of life in Greek antiquity.

Author : William Desmond
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2014-12-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9781317492863

Get Book

Cynics by William Desmond Pdf

Once regarded as a minor Socratic school, Cynicism is now admired as one of the more creative and influential philosophical movements in antiquity. First arising in the city-states of late classical Greece, Cynicism thrived through the Hellenistic and Roman periods, until the triumph of Christianity and the very end of pagan antiquity. In every age down to the present, its ideals of radical simplicity and freedom have alternately inspired and disturbed onlookers. This book offers a survey of Cynicism, its varied representatives and ideas, and the many contexts in which it operated. William Desmond introduces important ancient Cynics and their times, from Diogenes 'the Dog' in the fourth century BC to Sallustius in the fifth century AD. He details the Cynics' rejection of various traditional customs and the rebellious life-style for which they are notorious.The central chapters locate major Cynic themes (nature and the natural life, Fortune, self-sufficiency, cosmopolitanism) within the rich matrix of ideas debated by the ancient schools. The final chapter reviews some moments in the diverse legacy of Cynicism, from Jesus to Nietzsche.

Author : Luis Navia
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1996-10-11
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780313029707

Get Book

Classical Cynicism by Luis Navia Pdf

More than a school of philosophy with a defined set of beliefs and convictions, classical Cynicism represents an unconventional sect of philosophers and a way of life. This is a complete account of classical Cynicism from its beginnings in the Socratic circle to its extinction in late Roman times. In this thoroughly documented study, Navia explores various issues related to the sources of information about the Cynics, the development of Cynicism, and the principal representatives of classical Cynicism. Exploring the relationship between classical Cynicism and cynicism as understood in its ordinary modern sense, the author argues that despite their common designation, they represent significantly different philosophical attitudes. This book explicates the main ideas associated with classical Cynicism and argues that, its shortcomings notwithstanding, classical Cynicism furnishes us with a wealthy source of philosophical enlightenment. Individual chapters are devoted to Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Crates, the three principal classical Cynics. Attention is given to the development and application of certain fundamental Cynic ideas and to the transformation of these ideas throughout the eight centuries during which Cynicism was an influential philosophical movement. The book provides abundant references to primary and secondary sources and includes a bibliography of over five hundred entries.

Author : Luis E. Navia
Publisher : Humanities Press International
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : STANFORD:36105114132116

Get Book

Diogenes the Cynic by Luis E. Navia Pdf

For over eight hundred years, philosophers--men and women--who called themselves Cynics, literally "dogs" in their language, roamed the streets and byways of the Hellenistic world, teaching strange ideas and practicing a bizarre way of life. Among them, the most important and distinctive was Diogenes of Sinope, who became the archetype of Classical Cynicism. In this comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and engaging book, philosopher Luis E. Navia undertakes the task of reconstructing Diogenes' life and extracting from him lessons that are valuable in our time. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides a biographical sketch of Diogenes constructed on the basis of ancient testimonies. In Chapter 2, the practice of Cynicism, as exemplified by Diogenes, is elucidated. This "war against the world," as Navia describes it, especially the rhetoric of Cynicism, was the primary medium used by the Cynics to convey their message. Chapter 3 clarifies the roots and basis of the Cynic metamorphosis, that is, the process by which Diogenes transformed himself into a dog. This process involves complex psychological, sociological, and philosophical factors, chief among which was Socrates' influence on Diogenes through the agency of Antisthenes. Chapter 4 reconstructs the philosophy of Diogenes by identifying twelve principles of his thought. In Chapter 5, the influence of Diogenes is discussed. Navia emphasizes the vast difference between Diogenes' ideas and style of life on the one hand and, on the other, what is nowadays called cynicism. The book provides abundant references to ancient testimonies and modern scholarship. It includes an extensively annotated translation of Diogenes Laertius's biography of Diogenes and a comprehensive bibliography.

Author : R. Bracht Branham,Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 474 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2023-07-28
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780520921986

Get Book

The Cynics by R. Bracht Branham,Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé Pdf

This collection of essays—the first of its kind in English—brings together the work of an international group of scholars examining the entire tradition associated with the ancient Cynics. The essays give a history of the movement as well as a state-of-the-art account of the literary, philosophical and cultural significance of Cynicism from antiquity to the present. Arguably the most original and influential branch of the Socratic tradition, Cynicism has become the focus of renewed scholarly interest in recent years, thanks to the work of Sloterdijk, Foucault, and Bakhtin, among others. The contributors to this volume—classicists, comparatists, and philosophers—draw on a variety of methodologies to explore the ethical, social and cultural practices inspired by the Cynics. The volume also includes an introduction, appendices, and an annotated bibliography, making it a valuable resource for a broad audience.

Author : Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Page : 442 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2019-08-20
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781467456678

Get Book

Cynicism and Christianity in Antiquity by Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé Pdf

Was Jesus a Cynic? Cynicism and Christianity in Antiquity is a literary tour de force analyzing and refuting the hypothesis that Jesus was a Cynic. Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé examines the arguments submitted by some New Testament scholars who believe that Jesus and his disciples were influenced by the ethics and social behaviors of itinerant Cynic preachers. In examining the “Cynic Jesus hypothesis,” Goulet-Cazé offers a reliable, accessible, and fully documented summary of Cynicism and its ideas, from Diogenes to the Imperial Period, and she investigates the extent and nature of contact between Cynics and Jewish people, especially between 100 BCE and 100 CE. While recognizing similarities between the ideas and morals of ancient Cynicism and those evident in early Christian movements, Goulet-Cazé identifies more significant, fundamental differences between them in culture, theology, and worldview.

Author : Peter Sloterdijk
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 558 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 1988
Category : Civilization, Modern
ISBN : 0860919331

Get Book

Critique of Cynical Reason by Peter Sloterdijk Pdf

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2016-03-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780241251485

Get Book

Anecdotes of the Cynics by Anonim Pdf

'It's you who are the dogs...' What makes us happy? For over 800 years the Cynic philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome argued that the answer lay in a simple, self-sufficient life. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

Author : Louisa Shea
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2010-01-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780801897061

Get Book

The Cynic Enlightenment by Louisa Shea Pdf

This original study reveals the importance of ancient Cynicism in defining the Enlightenment and its legacy. Louisa Shea explores modernity's debt to Cynicism by examining the works of thinkers who turned to the ancient Cynics as a model for reinventing philosophy and dared to imagine an alliance between a socially engaged Enlightenment and the least respectable of early Greek philosophies. While Cynicism has always resided on the fringes of philosophy, Shea argues, it remained a vital touchstone for writers committed to social change and helped define the emerging figure of the public intellectual in the 18th century. Shea's study brings to light the rich legacy of ancient Cynicism in modern intellectual, philosophical, and literary life, both in the 18th-century works of Diderot, Rousseau, Wieland, and Sade, and in recent writings by Michel Foucault and Peter Sloterdijk. Featuring an important new perspective on both Enlightenment thought and its current scholarly reception, The Cynic Enlightenment will interest students and scholars of the Enlightenment and its intellectual legacy, 18th-century studies, literature, and philosophy.

Author : William D. Desmond
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : History
ISBN : STANFORD:36105114505766

Get Book

The Greek Praise of Poverty by William D. Desmond Pdf

William Desmond, taking issue with common popular and scholarlyviews of the ancient Greek Cynics, contends that early Cynics likeAntisthenes and Diogenes were not cultural outcasts or marginal voicesin classical culture; rather, the Cynic movement through the fourthcentury B.C. had deep and significant roots in what Desmond calls theGreek praise of poverty. Desmond demonstrates that classical views ofwealth were complex and allowed for the admiration of poverty and thevirtues it could inspire. He explains Cynicism's rise in popularity in theancient world by exploring the set of attitudes that collectively formedthe Greek praise of poverty. Desmond argues that in the fifth and fourthcenturies B.C., economic, political, military, and philosophical thoughtcontained explicit criticisms of wealth and praise of poverty.

Author : Diogenes Of Sinope,Frank Redmond
Publisher : CreateSpace
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2013-10
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 1492974269

Get Book

Diogenes of Sinope - Life and Legend by Diogenes Of Sinope,Frank Redmond Pdf

Diogenes of Sinope is undoubtedly the most well-known Cynic philosopher from antiquity. We possess no direct writings from Diogenes himself, thus his legacy has been left for others to construct and discuss over the centuries. Over time, Diogenes' legacy became intermingled with legends about his life which makes it difficult for the scholar to reconstruct who exactly the “real” Diogenes was. We possess a faint idea of who the man was, and this book is meant to provide the raw material for the study of Diogenes and how his life and legacy shifted throughout the centuries. Using actual primary sources, this book allows the student and the scholar to use open-source texts to reconstruct the personhood of Diogenes of Sinope. The excerpts are a little longer than given in most similar books. The objective is to provide as much background information on the excerpts as possible. Sources: Aelian, Aesop, Aulus Gellius, Apuleius, Athenaeus, Augustine, Basil of Caesarea, Clement, Cicero, Dio Chrysostom, Diogenes Laertius, Epictetus, Greek Anthology, Julian, Lucian, Marcus Aurelius, Origen, Philostratus, Plutarch, Seneca, Socrates Scholasticus, Strabo, Tertullian

Author : Susan Prince
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
Page : 785 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2015-12-03
Category : History
ISBN : 9780472119349

Get Book

Antisthenes of Athens by Susan Prince Pdf

Antisthenes was famous in antiquity for his studies of Homer's poems, his affiliation with Gorgias and the sophistic movement, his pure Attic writing style, and his inspiration of Diogenes of Sinope, who founded the Cynic philosophical movement. Antisthenes stands at two of the greatest turning points in ancient intellectual history: from pre-Socraticism to Socraticism, and from classical Athens to the Hellenistic period. Antisthenes' works form the path to a better understanding of the intellectual culture of Athens that shaped Plato and laid the foundations for Hellenistic philosophy and literature. Antisthenes of Athens keeps in mind the goals and polemics framing each philosophical and textual discussion. The volume considers the ancient traditions about Antisthenes' rejection of Plato's “Theory of Forms,” his assertion of the paradox, “It is impossible to gainsay,” and his denial that definition of essence is possible, as well as the plausible intentions of Antisthenes. In cases where these questions are not easily settled, and where modern interpretation has varied, Susan H. Prince identifies the roots of the disagreements. The goal and meaning of Antisthenes' other famous ancient paradox, “I would rather go mad than have pleasure,” is illuminated by comparison with other evidence showing that pleasure does have a place in his ideology. Evidence for his relationship to Diogenes of Sinope, and for his receptions by the Cynics, Stoics, Skeptics, Christians, and Neo-Pagans is examined for both its historical value and its distorting tendencies.

Author : Ansgar Allen
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2020-05-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262537889

Get Book

Cynicism by Ansgar Allen Pdf

A short history of cynicism, from the fearless speech of the ancient Greeks to the jaded negativity of the present. Everyone's a cynic, yet few will admit it. Today's cynics excuse themselves half-heartedly—“I hate to be a cynic, but..."—before making their pronouncements. Narrowly opportunistic, always on the take, contemporary cynicism has nothing positive to contribute. The Cynicism of the ancient Greeks, however, was very different. This Cynicism was a marginal philosophy practiced by a small band of eccentrics. Bold and shameless, it was committed to transforming the values on which civilization depends. In this volume of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Ansgar Allen charts the long history of cynicism, from the “fearless speech” of Greek Cynics in the fourth century BCE to the contemporary cynic's lack of social and political convictions. Allen describes ancient Cynicism as an improvised philosophy and a way of life disposed to scandalize contemporaries, subjecting their cultural commitments to derision. He chronicles the subsequent “purification” of Cynicism by the Stoics; Renaissance and Enlightenment appropriations of Cynicism, drawing on the writings of Shakespeare, Rabelais, Rousseau, de Sade, and others; and the transition from Cynicism (the philosophy) to cynicism (the modern attitude), exploring contemporary cynicism from the perspectives of its leftist, liberal, and conservative critics. Finally, he considers the possibility of a radical cynicism that admits and affirms the danger it poses to contemporary society.