'Cynicism' Articles
Seeing a child drinking from his hands, Diogenes threw away his cup and remarked, “A child has beaten me in plainness of living.”
The modern cynic is often not in the same vein as the ancients. They are just apathetic, but cynicism is a life philosophy. Ancient cynics espoused the Socratic view of education, that any real learning is to be perceived or realized. Convention is without virtue to a cynics view. To a cynic if you’re hungry, eat. If you’re sleepy, lay down and sleep. If you’re angry and feel like yelling, then yell. They deride convention because it blocks that.
“A man once asked Diogenes what was the proper time for supper, and he made answer, “If you are a rich man, whenever you please; and if you are a poor man, whenever you can” Diogenes (Ancient Greek Philosopher; said to be the Founder of Cynicism 412 BC-323 BC)
“True contentment depends not upon what we have; a tub was large enough for Diogenes, but a world was too little for Alexander.” Charles Caleb Colton (English sportsman and writer, 1780-1832)
Classical Cynicism
I am not talking about being grouchy, but classical cynicism which is a life philosophy. It’s a philosophy that does have its roots in the teachings of Socrates, and if anything focused on putting them into very literal action. Cynics believed that virtue was sufficient for a happy life, and virtue was in evidence in what is present in nature. They saw both the ambitions of “society” and their conventions as being the cause of many ills. At best deluded falsehoods that weaken us, and at worst aggressive actions taken by those it served to keep the populace at large tractable.… Seek More
Critics of Institution
The cynics accept that there were Gods. They were especially fond of Hercules, actually, and from their point of view they were on a mission from Zeus. Did they think of nature as God? Basically they did, and that we should stop wasting Gods time. That was their thought. To the point of view of a cynic, what they were doing was exploring the world and identifying whatever might be friendly to humanity and also what isn’t, and reporting on it very honestly. This is why they were such critics of any institution. The cynics seem egotistic and use nature as… Seek More
