The Cynics

The Cynics Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of The Cynics book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.

Cynics

Author : William Desmond
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 51,9 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.

The Cynics

Author : R. Bracht Branham,Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 474 pages
File Size : 48,9 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.

Cynicism

Author : Ansgar Allen
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 45,7 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.

The Cynic Philosophers

Author : Diogenes of Sinope,Julian,Lucian
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 42,8 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

The Making of Modern Cynicism

Author : David Mazella
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 55,7 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.

Cynicism and Christianity in Antiquity

Author : Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Page : 442 pages
File Size : 42,6 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.

The Cynical Society

Author : Jeffrey C. Goldfarb
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : History
ISBN : 0226301079

Get Book

The Cynical Society by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb Pdf

The Cynical Society is a study of the political despair and abdication of (individual) responsibility Goldfarb calls cynicism—a central but unexamined aspect of contemporary American political and social life. Goldfarb reveals with vivid strokes how cynicism undermines our capacity to think about society's strengths and weaknesses. Drawing on thinkers from Alexis de Tocqueville to Allan Bloom and on such recent works as Beloved, Bonfire of the Vanities, and Mississippi Burning, The Cynical Society celebrates cultural pluralism's role in democracy.

Cynics, Paul and the Pauline Churches

Author : F. Gerald Downing
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 386 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2002-09-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9781134694570

Get Book

Cynics, Paul and the Pauline Churches by F. Gerald Downing Pdf

F. Gerald Downing explores the teachings of Paul, arguing that the development of Paul's preaching and of the Pauline Church owed a great deal to the views of the vagabond Cynic philosophers, critics of the gods and of the ethos of civic society. F. Gerald Downing examines the New Testament writings of Paul, explaining how he would have been seen, heard, perceived and understood by his culturally and ethnically diverse converts and disciples. He engages in a lucid Pauline commentary and offers some startling and ground-breaking views of Paul and his Word. Cynics, Paul and the Pauline Churches is a unique and controversial book, particularly in its endorsement of the simple and ascetic life proffered in Paul's teachings in comparison with the greedy, consumerist and self-promoting nature of today's society.

Anecdotes of the Cynics

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 43,8 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.

Justice and Generosity

Author : Andre Laks,Malcolm Schofield
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 316 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 1995-01-26
Category : History
ISBN : 9780521452939

Get Book

Justice and Generosity by Andre Laks,Malcolm Schofield Pdf

Hegel's often-echoed verdict on the apolitical character of philosophy in the Hellenistic age is challenged in this collection of essays, originally presented at the sixth meeting of the Symposium Hellenisticum. An international team of leading scholars reveals a vigorous intellectual scene of great diversity.

The Function of Cynicism at the Present Time

Author : Helen Small
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2020-06-30
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780192606525

Get Book

The Function of Cynicism at the Present Time by Helen Small Pdf

Cynicism is usually seen as a provocative mode of dissent from conventional moral thought, casting doubt on the motives that guide right conduct. When critics today complain that it is ubiquitous but lacks the serious bite of classical Cynicism, they express concern that it can now only be corrosively negative. The Function of Cynicism at the Present Time takes a more balanced view. Re-evaluating the role of cynicism in literature, cultural criticism, and philosophy from 1840 to the present, it treats cynic confrontationalism as a widely-employed credibility-check on the promotion of moral ideals—with roots in human psychology. Helen Small investigates how writers have engaged with Cynic traditions of thought, and later more gestural styles of cynicism, to re-calibrate dominant moral values, judgements of taste, and political agreements. The argument develops through a series of cynic challenges to accepted moral thinking: Friedrich Nietzsche on morality; Thomas Carlyle v. J. S. Mill on the permissible limits of moral provocation; Arnold on the freedom of criticism; George Eliot and Ford Madox Ford on cosmopolitanism; Bertrand Russell, John Dewey, and Laura Kipnis on the conditions of work in the university. The Function of Cynicism treats topics of present-day public concern: abrasive styles of public argument; debasing challenges to conventional morality; free speech, moral controversialism; the authority of reason and the limits of that authority; nationalism and resistance to nationalism; and liberty of expression as a core principle of the university.

Classical Cynicism

Author : Luis Navia
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 44,9 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.

Cynics and Christian Origins

Author : Francis Gerald Downing
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 404 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 1992-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0567096130

Get Book

Cynics and Christian Origins by Francis Gerald Downing Pdf

This study shows that the wealth of parallels between the Jesus tradition and popular Cynicism suggest that Cynicism has been an important element in Christianity from the earliest days.

The Greek Praise of Poverty

Author : William D. Desmond
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 45,6 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.

Cynicism from Diogenes to Dilbert

Author : Ian Cutler
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2005-07-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780786420933

Get Book

Cynicism from Diogenes to Dilbert by Ian Cutler Pdf

Cynicism began as a school of philosophy that was largely inspired by Socrates and often decried by popular commentators as a social pathology, a nihilistic rebellion against the foundations of civilization. Modern definitions of the cynic describe an individual who is negative and sarcastic, violently opposed to established authority and social convention, and dedicated to existentialism. This book attempts to vindicate cynicism, arguing that it is both a progressive approach to social dilemmas and an enlightened understanding of the human condition. Chapter One establishes the foundations of classical Greek cynicism, while later chapters illustrate the varied faces of the cynic phenomenon in the persons of such disparate characters as Machiavelli, Nietzsche, Diogenes, the Dadaists, George Bataille, Samuel Beckett, Auberon Waugh, the creators of South Park, and others. Nietzsche is portrayed as the most important representative of both classical and postmodern cynicism, as well as the pivotal link between the two. The book focuses on significant periods of historical change, such as the Renaissance, and the historical cynics responsible for several seminal social ideas, including cosmopolitanism (citizenship of the world), asceticism (personal growth through self-testing), and parrhesia (finding one's voice in the presence of tyrannical forces). The author claims that aspects of Greek cynicism are present in contemporary society, offering a positive strategy for living in a hostile world.