When Plato smugly defined man as a “featherless biped,” Diogenes plucked a chicken and interrupted one of Plato’s lectures holding it, proclaiming, “Behold, Plato’s man.” In an account with the conqueror Alexander the Great, Alexander approached Diogenes, hearing the stories of the beloved philosopher. When a passerby told Diogenes he would give him a coin if Diogenes could persuade him of something, Diogenes replied, “If I could have persuaded you of anything, I would have persuaded you to hang yourself.” He would repeatedly insult the greatest of his time, only to leave them dumbfounded by his unassuming wit. He begged for a living, and, put simply, cared little for the opinions of others. However, upon seeing a boy drink water from the pond with only his hands, Diogenes threw his bowl away, realizing how materialistic he had become. Diogenes, in his quest for simplicity and virtue, lived in a clay wine jar in the market place, owning only a wooden bowl, a robe, and a cane. Upon arrival with his slave Manes, he said to himself, “If Manes can live without Diogenes, why not Diogenes without Manes?” He promptly set free his slave, his first act of self-sufficiency. The life of Diogenes was exceptionally unique when exiled from his home of Sinope after being told by the Oracle of Delphi to deface the currency, he migrated to Athens and committed himself to a life of simplicity. Diogenes was quoted as saying, “Humans have complicated every great gift of the Gods.” Diogenes’ philosophy was less exemplified from written passages as it was from his actions. Cynics believed that through the ethical values of living a life according to nature, they had found the path to a virtuous life. This is just one example of Diogenes’ unorthodox philosophy.ĭiogenes lived his life according to ancient Cynicism, an Ancient Greek school of thought which stressed the importance of living in accordance to nature and living virtuously. Diogenes believed a natural life was ideal, so when passersby called him a dog, Diogenes, not one to contest such a virtuous compliment, urinated on said passersby as a sign of gratitude. Contradicting these caricatures of philosophers, we have the accounts of Diogenes, an Ancient Greek beggar of Athens. Or, maybe a classy, French existentialist speaking futilely over a cup of coffee in a cafe overlooking the Eiffel Tower. When one thinks of a philosopher, one might imagine a bearded professor writing long, perplexing passages within the depths of his study. Matthew Rockwell NovemFeatures No Comments
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