Download or read book The Cynic Philosophers written by Diogenes of Sinope and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: '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

Download or read book Cynics written by William Desmond and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-05 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Greek Praise of Poverty written by William D. Desmond and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Making of Modern Cynicism written by David Mazella and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Anecdotes of the Cynics written by and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: '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.

Download or read book Cynicism written by Ansgar Allen and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Classical Cynicism written by Luis Navia and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1996-10-11 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Cynics written by William Desmond and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-05 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Cynics written by R. Bracht Branham and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2023-07-28 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Sayings and Anecdotes written by Diogenes and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012-05-10 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Philosophy of Cynicism written by Luis Navia and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1995-07-30 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed research work for the study of the origins, development, and significance of the Cynical movement among the Greeks and Romans. The purpose of this volume is to provide bibliographical information on over 650 books and articles dealing with various aspects of Cynicism. These works were written as early as the 16th century and as recently as 1994 in a variety of languages. This volume includes numerous revealing quotations from the annotated works. It is a valuable research instrument for anyone interested in the history of ideas. The contributions of the Cynic philosophers, both Greek and Roman, were many. In many ways they were significant in the development of Western philosophy. The Cynics were a familiar sight in classical times. They saw themselves as having been called to fulfill a mission, namely, the denunciation of ordinary human values and conventions. Offering a wide spectrum of approaches to Cynicism, the works detailed in this volume include general histories of philosophy (especially Greek), monographs on Cynicism, doctoral and university dissertations, collections of articles from journals and magazines, poetic and dramatic pieces, and encyclopedia and dictionary entries—selections from strictly scholarly works in philosophy and philology to popularizations of Cynic ideas.

Download or read book The Function of Cynicism at the Present Time written by Helen Small and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020-06-29 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book A History of Cynicism From Diogenes to the 6th Century A D written by Donald R. Dudley and published by Mayo Press. This book was released on 2008-11 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A HISTORY OF CYNICISM- From Diogenes to the 6 th Century A. D. by DONALD R. DUDLEY. Contents include: INTRODUCTION ix I ANTISTHENES. NO DIRECT CONNEXION WITH CYNICS. HIS ETHICS I II DIOGENES AND HIS ASSOCIATES 17 a DIOGENES IN LITERARY TRADITIONLIFE THOUGHT b ONESICRATUS 39 c MONIMUS 40 d CRATES LIFE WRITINGS CRATES AND HIPPARCHIA 42 III 9 CYNICISM IN THE THIRD CENTURY B. C. 59 a BION 62 b MENIPPUS 69 c CERCIDAS 74 d TELES 84 e CYNIC EDUCATIONAL THEORY, ETC. 87 IV CYNICISM AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS IN THE THIRD CENTURY 95 a THE MEGARIANS 95 b ZENO 96 c ARISTON IOO d HEDONISTS IO3 e EPICUREANS I O6 TIMON 107 V CYNIC INFLUENCE ON HELLENISTIC LITERATURE IIO VI CYNICISM IN THE SECOND AND FIRST CENTURIES B. C. 117 VII DEMETRIUS. THE PHILOSOPHIC OPPOSITION IN THE FIRST CENTURY A. D. 125 vii viii A HISTORY OF CYNICISM CHAP. PAGf VIII CYNICISM IN THE SECOND CENTURY A. D. 143 a GENERAL CHARACTER 143 b DIG CHRYSOSTOM 148 c DEMONAX 158 d OENOMAUS l62 e PEREGRINUS 170 MINOR FIGURES 1 82 IX CYNICISM AND THE PHILOSOPHIC SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CENTURIES A. D. 1 86 a PHILO b CYNICS AND STOICS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE c FAVORINUS d MAXIMUS X CYNICISM FROM THE THIRD TO THE SIXTH CENTURIES A. D. 2, Q2 a JULIAN AND THE CYNICS b MAXIMUS c ASTERIUS d SALLUSTIUS EPILOGUE 209 APPENDICES 215 INDEX 223. INTRODUCTION: THE Emperor Julian, speaking of the Cynic philosophy, says that it has been practised in all ages ... it does not need any special study, one need only hearken to the god of Delphi when he enjoins the precepts know thyself and alter the currency . In claiming the Delphic god as the founder of Cynicism Julian is guilty of an obvious anachronism for Cynicism cannot be shown to antedate Diogenes of Sinope. But from the fourth century B. C. Cynicism endured to the last days of the ancient world Cynics were common in the days of Augustine they may have been known in the Empire of Byzantium. Long life is not of itself a criterion of worth and it cannot be denied that Cynicism survived when much of immeasurably greater intellectual value perished. To the student of ancient philosophy there is in Cynicism scarcely more than a rudimentary and debased version of the ethics of Socrates, which exaggerates his austerity to a fanatic asceticism, hardens his irony to sardonic laughter at the follies of man kind, and affords no parallel to his genuine love of knowledge. Well might Plato have said of the first and greatest Cynic, That man is Socrates gone mad. But to the student of social history, and of ancient thought as distinct from philosophy, there is much of interest in Cynicism...

Download or read book Cynicism written by Matthew Gumke and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-25 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cynicism is a personal position that expresses a demonstrative disdain for accepted norms and traditions that interfere with the solution of pragmatic tasks and those that are of little use in a practical sense.The origin of the term "cynicism" is associated with the ancient Greek philosophical school of cynicism (from the ancient Greek cyon - dog), which took shape towards the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th century BC. Representatives of cynicism rejected the importance of money, power, honors and other human values. The moral ideal of the Cynics was a natural way of life, asceticism and individual virtue.The practical orientation of cynicism, expressed in propaganda shocking and eccentric antics, drew attention to the very act of social challenge. The original philosophical content was not always in sight. By the V century AD Cynicism was already associated with a specific line of behavior, disregard for generally accepted views and social norms. In the XIX century, negativist aspects of the cynical philosophy served as the basis for the formation of the concept of "cynicism" in the meaning of a skeptical attitude to ethical and social values.In this book, you'll learn everything you need to know about cynicism and Diogenes.

Download or read book A History of Cynicism from Diogenes to the 6th Century written by Donald Reynolds Dudley and published by . This book was released on 1937 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Diogenes of Sinope written by Farrand Sayre and published by . This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book How to Say No written by Diogenes and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entertaining and enlightening collection of ancient writings about the philosophers who advocated simple living and rejected unthinking conformity The Cynics were ancient Greek philosophers who stood athwart the flood of society’s material excess, unexamined conventions, and even norms of politeness and thundered “No!” Diogenes, the most famous Cynic, wasn’t shy about literally extending his middle finger to the world, expressing mock surprise that “most people go crazy over a finger.” When asked why he was called Diogenes the Dog, he replied “because I fawn on those who give, I bark at those who don’t, and I bite scoundrels.” How to Say No is a delightful collection of brief ancient writings about Cynicism that captures all the outrageousness, wit, and wisdom of its remarkable cast of characters—from Diogenes in the fourth century BCE to the column-stander Symeon Stylites in late antiquity. With their “less is more” approach to life, the Cynics speak urgently to our world of climate change, economic uncertainty, and psychic malaise. Although the Cynics weren’t writers, their memorable utterances and behavior were recorded by their admirers and detractors, and M. D. Usher offers fresh new translations of appealing selections from this body of writing—ranging from street sermons and repartee to biography and snapshots of Cynics in action. Complete with introductions to the volume and each selection as well as the original Greek and Latin on facing pages, this lively book demonstrates why the Cynics still retain their power to surprise us and make us laugh—and to make us think and question how we live.