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The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian
'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
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
232 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 12, 2013
A very nice assortment of relevant texts spanning a thousand years, brilliantly well-translated. Makes me want to be a dog.
August 1, 2022
A straight line from Socrates to Stoicism seems to trace directly through the Cynics, as the connecting piece of the puzzle. Antisthenes was said to have studied under Socrates and learned the powers of reason, virtue, and fortitude. Some say Antisthenes was the first Cynic philosopher, others say his student Diogenes was. Regardless, we know that the later Stoicism owes much to the Cynics, and so here we have something I had long been looking for: the link between Socrates and Stoic philosophy. Given this heritage, it didn’t surprise me that Cynicism appears to be a very admirable school of philosophy, as worthy a model of thought and behavior today as it was over two millennia ago.
Virtue is, to the Cynic, the highest good. To be happy requires only virtuousness and Socratic fortitude. Other Cynic themes and values include freedom of speech, self-sufficiency, physical training, endurance and self-control, and deriding tuphos, the preoccupation with luxury and social standing. Diogenes embodied all that came to be associated with the Cynic philosophy. A man impoverished of material goods but rich in resilience, capacity for hardship, a piercing intellect, and no concern for how he was perceived by the masses but instead for how best to live and be. He taught others to do nothing thoughtlessly or irrationally, to question everything, particularly those things which the masses seem to be in unanimous agreement upon without having questioned. Like all true philosophers, he embodied everything that he taught, and put into practice every principle of which he spoke.
Diogenes trampled pretense under foot in favor of living simply, naturally, in poverty and with few possessions, those carried on the person. In Diogenes’s case these were his staff, his cloak, his nap sack. These items, with his messy hair and beard, became iconic as the outfit of the Cynic philosophers. For centuries after, those wishing to walk the path of Cynicism more so in appearance than in spirit, donned this basic apparel.
The book is also a big part history, with a long introduction explaining the Cynic themes and the main Cynic philosophers. Each chapter offers the writings or teachings of different Cynic thinkers, including Antisthenes, Diogenes, Crates, Bion, Onesicritus, Demetrius, Dio Chrysostom, Teles, and a few who were not of this school, like Lucian, or the magnificent Stoic Epictetus, and the Emperor Julian, who wrote on the Cynics and their philosophy.
These non-Cynic writings come many years after the Cynics were at their prime, and these men look back on the Cynics of earlier ages, drawing unflattering contrasts between those in the rags of Cynics in their own time and those of the past. Lucian provides a dialogue illustrating the basic values of Cynicism, and a writing praising the brilliance and wit of the philosopher Demonax. Julian writes on whether or not mythology has any place in philosophy, and if so, what purpose it might as serve. Epictetus explains how one ought to be if they wish to pursue the Cynic lifestyle, informing us that to do it right is to do it the way it was originally done, not as it is done in his contemporary Rome.
The tenets of the Cynic philosophy were established by Anthisthenes and were put into practice by Diogenes. It requires one becoming indifferent to pleasure and pain, subordinating passion to reason. To not be governed by conventional ideas about good or bad, nor moved by popular opinion, and never influenced by the mob, nor harboring a weakness for praise and applause or craving public notice, using reason to seek the truth in all matters.
The Cynic challenges convention, not to be contrarian or to pick pointless fights, but to pursue what is best and what is in line with well-being, happiness, mental and physical robustness, to get others thinking about their own lives and questioning their own assumed values. The principle of “deface the currency”, something Antisthenes was said to have done in his youth, symbolized much of what the Cynics stood for. Do not accept the sacredness imparted upon man made objects and ideas, reject materialism and become free from the control that wealth and possessions have over oneself. Alter customs and received opinions to fall in line with the truth rather than what society imagines is important. The Cynics lived this through their philosophy, a school of thought like Stoicism that was meaningless if practiced only on paper and not throughout one’s existence of striving for improvement. The Cynic did not fear death nor the judgment of others, or pain, or hunger.
Diogenes and the other Cynics recognized the analogy between philosophy and physical fitness, in one being intended for the perfection of the physical body and one being intended for the perfection of the mind and the spirit. Cynicism, at least in its early days, placed importance on being physically fit and taking care of one’s body just as well as one’s mind. Diogenes often compared himself and his trade (philosophy) with things traditionally thought more valuable to society, and believed his services to be most needed in places where vice and moral corruption were rampant. By this reasoning, he figured he should spend a lot of time educating kings and the wealthy and powerful, who perhaps stood to learn the most from his teachings. And he often spoke about how even with his self-imposed poverty and lack of possessions or shelter, he was wealthier and better off than any king, happier and with fewer worries and with a healthier perspective on life.
The public masturbation of Diogenes and the self-immolation of Peregrinus are by now points of attention or amusement when looking back on the Cynic philosophy. Diogenes did this to show his contempt for laws he found insensible and restrictive, and likely also to show that satisfying his human urges were completely within his control alone. Peregrinus did this, as Lucian says, through a very un-Cynic-like chasing of spectators and awe, but also, apparently, to demonstrate how fearless a Cynic can be in the face of death and suffering.
The book is a contemplative and very well-composed collection of Cynic thinkers. It would be hard to put together a more representative work on the philosophy, its teachings, and its lasting relevance. Its historical content offers context and elaboration on the philosophy’s development and evolution, and many informative notes that give more background to the writings.
Virtue is, to the Cynic, the highest good. To be happy requires only virtuousness and Socratic fortitude. Other Cynic themes and values include freedom of speech, self-sufficiency, physical training, endurance and self-control, and deriding tuphos, the preoccupation with luxury and social standing. Diogenes embodied all that came to be associated with the Cynic philosophy. A man impoverished of material goods but rich in resilience, capacity for hardship, a piercing intellect, and no concern for how he was perceived by the masses but instead for how best to live and be. He taught others to do nothing thoughtlessly or irrationally, to question everything, particularly those things which the masses seem to be in unanimous agreement upon without having questioned. Like all true philosophers, he embodied everything that he taught, and put into practice every principle of which he spoke.
Diogenes trampled pretense under foot in favor of living simply, naturally, in poverty and with few possessions, those carried on the person. In Diogenes’s case these were his staff, his cloak, his nap sack. These items, with his messy hair and beard, became iconic as the outfit of the Cynic philosophers. For centuries after, those wishing to walk the path of Cynicism more so in appearance than in spirit, donned this basic apparel.
The book is also a big part history, with a long introduction explaining the Cynic themes and the main Cynic philosophers. Each chapter offers the writings or teachings of different Cynic thinkers, including Antisthenes, Diogenes, Crates, Bion, Onesicritus, Demetrius, Dio Chrysostom, Teles, and a few who were not of this school, like Lucian, or the magnificent Stoic Epictetus, and the Emperor Julian, who wrote on the Cynics and their philosophy.
These non-Cynic writings come many years after the Cynics were at their prime, and these men look back on the Cynics of earlier ages, drawing unflattering contrasts between those in the rags of Cynics in their own time and those of the past. Lucian provides a dialogue illustrating the basic values of Cynicism, and a writing praising the brilliance and wit of the philosopher Demonax. Julian writes on whether or not mythology has any place in philosophy, and if so, what purpose it might as serve. Epictetus explains how one ought to be if they wish to pursue the Cynic lifestyle, informing us that to do it right is to do it the way it was originally done, not as it is done in his contemporary Rome.
The tenets of the Cynic philosophy were established by Anthisthenes and were put into practice by Diogenes. It requires one becoming indifferent to pleasure and pain, subordinating passion to reason. To not be governed by conventional ideas about good or bad, nor moved by popular opinion, and never influenced by the mob, nor harboring a weakness for praise and applause or craving public notice, using reason to seek the truth in all matters.
The Cynic challenges convention, not to be contrarian or to pick pointless fights, but to pursue what is best and what is in line with well-being, happiness, mental and physical robustness, to get others thinking about their own lives and questioning their own assumed values. The principle of “deface the currency”, something Antisthenes was said to have done in his youth, symbolized much of what the Cynics stood for. Do not accept the sacredness imparted upon man made objects and ideas, reject materialism and become free from the control that wealth and possessions have over oneself. Alter customs and received opinions to fall in line with the truth rather than what society imagines is important. The Cynics lived this through their philosophy, a school of thought like Stoicism that was meaningless if practiced only on paper and not throughout one’s existence of striving for improvement. The Cynic did not fear death nor the judgment of others, or pain, or hunger.
Diogenes and the other Cynics recognized the analogy between philosophy and physical fitness, in one being intended for the perfection of the physical body and one being intended for the perfection of the mind and the spirit. Cynicism, at least in its early days, placed importance on being physically fit and taking care of one’s body just as well as one’s mind. Diogenes often compared himself and his trade (philosophy) with things traditionally thought more valuable to society, and believed his services to be most needed in places where vice and moral corruption were rampant. By this reasoning, he figured he should spend a lot of time educating kings and the wealthy and powerful, who perhaps stood to learn the most from his teachings. And he often spoke about how even with his self-imposed poverty and lack of possessions or shelter, he was wealthier and better off than any king, happier and with fewer worries and with a healthier perspective on life.
The public masturbation of Diogenes and the self-immolation of Peregrinus are by now points of attention or amusement when looking back on the Cynic philosophy. Diogenes did this to show his contempt for laws he found insensible and restrictive, and likely also to show that satisfying his human urges were completely within his control alone. Peregrinus did this, as Lucian says, through a very un-Cynic-like chasing of spectators and awe, but also, apparently, to demonstrate how fearless a Cynic can be in the face of death and suffering.
The book is a contemplative and very well-composed collection of Cynic thinkers. It would be hard to put together a more representative work on the philosophy, its teachings, and its lasting relevance. Its historical content offers context and elaboration on the philosophy’s development and evolution, and many informative notes that give more background to the writings.
April 23, 2022
Greek philosophical sect that flourished from the 4th century bce to well into the Common Era, distinguished as much for its unconventional way of life as for its rejection of traditional social and political arrangements, professing instead a cosmopolitan utopia and communal anarchism. Antisthenes, a disciple of Socrates, is considered to be the founder of the movement, but Diogenes of Sinope embodied for most observers the Cynics’ worldview. He strove to destroy social conventions (including family life) as a way of returning to a “natural” life. Toward this end he lived as a vagabond pauper, slept in public buildings, and begged his food. He also advocated shamelessness (performing actions that were harmful to no one but unconventional in certain circumstances), outspokenness (to further his cause), and training in austerity.
Although equality was an essential feature of his primitive utopia, Diogenes denied equality to the masses (polloi), whom he compared unfavourably to barbarians and animals, owing to their corruption by convention. Membership in the Cynic fellowship entailed free access to, but not ownership of, material goods, as well as acceptance of stealing and begging. Crates of Thebes and some Cynics of the Roman era opted for milder ways of expressing their indifference to material goods—namely, by endorsing redistribution of wealth or generous donations of personal property to the needy.
In the history of political thought, Cynics are often regarded as the first anarchists, because they regarded the destruction of the state—which, owing to its hierarchical nature, was the cause of a plethora of misfortunes—as the only salvation for the human species. However, Cynics were equally skeptical of democracy and freedom, which entail duties that compromise self-sufficiency and provide rights that are unnecessary.
Although equality was an essential feature of his primitive utopia, Diogenes denied equality to the masses (polloi), whom he compared unfavourably to barbarians and animals, owing to their corruption by convention. Membership in the Cynic fellowship entailed free access to, but not ownership of, material goods, as well as acceptance of stealing and begging. Crates of Thebes and some Cynics of the Roman era opted for milder ways of expressing their indifference to material goods—namely, by endorsing redistribution of wealth or generous donations of personal property to the needy.
In the history of political thought, Cynics are often regarded as the first anarchists, because they regarded the destruction of the state—which, owing to its hierarchical nature, was the cause of a plethora of misfortunes—as the only salvation for the human species. However, Cynics were equally skeptical of democracy and freedom, which entail duties that compromise self-sufficiency and provide rights that are unnecessary.
October 22, 2025
Too dry.
Too repetitive.
Also, am I not smart enough...or has this just not been presented in a manner in which one could properly digest, absorb and/or enjoy the material?
Cause this just feels too much like the droning of a lecturer who hates his class.
It's pages of school textbook drudgery with little to no flair to ameliorate the reading experience.
I liked the little fragments I think I did MAYBE learn or connect with, but it felt like that was more accidental than by design...and in the end, I found myself just grinding through this mechanically.
In fact, if it wasn't for the Greek mythology elements, I doubt I would've even finished it.
Too repetitive.
Also, am I not smart enough...or has this just not been presented in a manner in which one could properly digest, absorb and/or enjoy the material?
Cause this just feels too much like the droning of a lecturer who hates his class.
It's pages of school textbook drudgery with little to no flair to ameliorate the reading experience.
I liked the little fragments I think I did MAYBE learn or connect with, but it felt like that was more accidental than by design...and in the end, I found myself just grinding through this mechanically.
In fact, if it wasn't for the Greek mythology elements, I doubt I would've even finished it.
May 7, 2021
I swear to Jesus, this book's been my mademoiselle for the last two months. Not that the philosophy is challenging to go through, most of the contents are common wisdom already and are something that you would remember hearing from your grandfather's rambles when you were the age of seven. It's just that, for the love of God, this book's heavy on words that are beyond me. I've kept a list, first on paper then I had to move it to a document file when I started noticing it getting out of hand, and overall I got almost four hundred words I never encountered before. Not that I'm complaining, I'm quite elated right now. Just that I'm annoyed while at the process.
The book delivers what it promises so I have no complaints. Most of the original Cynic texts are gone already so this book's based mostly around second-hand sources. It's mentioned that most of the Cynics' writings are of seriocomic nature and shouldn't be taken seriously (cannibalism and such), so it matters less that we don't have them since it's their actual actions that are most worthy of observations. Cynics values are best summarized by its five key themes: freedom of speech, self-sufficiency, training, endurance/self-control, and tuphos(this one's not elaborated as much in the book). Found a bit of contradiction when it comes to the Cynics' attitudes around how they should treat their body. It is mentioned repeatedly how Diogenes would take good measures in maintaining his physique so that he could handle whatever comes his way in nature, whether it be cold weather or a long-distance travel. Yet in the case of Julian's writing he both mentioned Diogenes' athleticism but at the same time ended his second writing with the idea of how Cynics should despise their bodies and treat it as you would treat dirt; the fact that it's disposable and such. I can't quite weld this two together, and they might not even talking about the same thing so that's something I need to put an effort to get back to in the future.
My favorite section is on Teles' writings. This is definitely gonna be my go-to book for Cynicism for now, until I find a better one at least.
The book delivers what it promises so I have no complaints. Most of the original Cynic texts are gone already so this book's based mostly around second-hand sources. It's mentioned that most of the Cynics' writings are of seriocomic nature and shouldn't be taken seriously (cannibalism and such), so it matters less that we don't have them since it's their actual actions that are most worthy of observations. Cynics values are best summarized by its five key themes: freedom of speech, self-sufficiency, training, endurance/self-control, and tuphos(this one's not elaborated as much in the book). Found a bit of contradiction when it comes to the Cynics' attitudes around how they should treat their body. It is mentioned repeatedly how Diogenes would take good measures in maintaining his physique so that he could handle whatever comes his way in nature, whether it be cold weather or a long-distance travel. Yet in the case of Julian's writing he both mentioned Diogenes' athleticism but at the same time ended his second writing with the idea of how Cynics should despise their bodies and treat it as you would treat dirt; the fact that it's disposable and such. I can't quite weld this two together, and they might not even talking about the same thing so that's something I need to put an effort to get back to in the future.
My favorite section is on Teles' writings. This is definitely gonna be my go-to book for Cynicism for now, until I find a better one at least.
April 8, 2021
This was a good overview of the philosophical tradition of Cynicism. The core ideas of Cynicism are pretty solid: self-reliance, frugality, liberalism, freedom of speech, endurance of hardship and detachment from desire etc.
I sought out this book as from what I had read of Cynicism it struck me as quite similar conceptually to another philosophical tradition I know and love, Taoism. After reading this, I would still say yes, Taoism and Cynicism have a lot in common, though they do manifest slightly differently. Cynicism feels like a grumpy, pessimistic version of Taoism. There’s also a great deal more aestheticism and mysticism in Taoism it seems.
I found myself agreeing with a lot of the basic ideas of Cynicism, just not necessarily always how it’s put into practice. I think the later development of this philosophy into stoicism was a necessary refinement and upgrade, which seems to me a much wiser philosophical tradition. Also, I still can’t get behind the view, perpetuated in Cynicism, that the body is something subordinate, something to deny and detest, which is quite an all pervasive idea within Greek philosophy to which I happen to believe is one of the worst ideas to ever come out of philosophy. I really don’t like the mind/body hierarchical view, the body needs to be treated with just as much care and respect as the mind, and you can’t really have a healthy mind without a healthy body, and vice versa.
Overall, I was happy with this book, and I will likely use it as my go-to reference for Cynicism in the future.
I sought out this book as from what I had read of Cynicism it struck me as quite similar conceptually to another philosophical tradition I know and love, Taoism. After reading this, I would still say yes, Taoism and Cynicism have a lot in common, though they do manifest slightly differently. Cynicism feels like a grumpy, pessimistic version of Taoism. There’s also a great deal more aestheticism and mysticism in Taoism it seems.
I found myself agreeing with a lot of the basic ideas of Cynicism, just not necessarily always how it’s put into practice. I think the later development of this philosophy into stoicism was a necessary refinement and upgrade, which seems to me a much wiser philosophical tradition. Also, I still can’t get behind the view, perpetuated in Cynicism, that the body is something subordinate, something to deny and detest, which is quite an all pervasive idea within Greek philosophy to which I happen to believe is one of the worst ideas to ever come out of philosophy. I really don’t like the mind/body hierarchical view, the body needs to be treated with just as much care and respect as the mind, and you can’t really have a healthy mind without a healthy body, and vice versa.
Overall, I was happy with this book, and I will likely use it as my go-to reference for Cynicism in the future.
July 12, 2020
The wisdom from the cynic philosophers is provocative, sometimes entertaining, but also full of wisdom. The cynics have personally taught me that we require very little in order to live a fulfilling life.
July 18, 2024
Cynicism isn’t what I thought it was. Cynicism is the philosophy that man should live in accordance with nature. Correspondingly, we should be mistrustful of all man-made, artificial institutions, such as government, social norms, money, and all pursuit of wealth fame or status, which we do to impress others and have no place in nature.
My dad described a philosopher to me whose area of expertise was determinism. He was emphatic in his books about how there was no such thing as luck, or God. Then one day, he was telling my dad a story about how when he was gambling, he was on a good streak, and he “just knew” that he was going to keep winning, that some unseen force was on his side. My dad said, “what do you mean? You say in your philosophy that there’s no such thing as luck.” He said, “Oh, that’s philosophy. That doesn’t apply to real life.”
You can guess what I think about that.
Cynic philosophers were on the other end of the spectrum. They dispensed with any study of mathematics or metaphysics (things that other Greek schools of thought all felt the need to obligatorily have a stance on, even if it was only tangentially related at best to their projects). Cynicism focused entirely on putting into practice how to live a truly happy life, prompting others to ask whether it was truly a philosophy or more a “way of life.” What should true philosophy be if not a way of life?
And that’s why I like the Greek philosophers so much more than modern philosophers. Modern philosophers are so caught up with whether they CAN make an argument that they never stop to ask if they SHOULD be making an argument.
On the other hand, cynicism was a way of life first and foremost, making some even question whether it counted as a true philosophy, since it had no school and completely ignored certain popular philosophical questions and the natural sciences as being unnecessary.
Cynics saw all of the things that money is used to buy and said, I don’t need any of those things. They carefully observed how the pursuit of wealth was an infinite game that only made the person pursuing it want more and more, and in the end, leads only to misery. Likewise, the pursuit of status in society only feeds an insatiable beast. But observe the lily of the meadows and the birds of the fields, how they don’t worry about what to eat or what to wear, and yet they never want. Oh wait—was that Jesus?—my bad.
The founder of cynicism was Diogenes “The Dog,” a name meant to be insulting but which he embraced with relish. Diogenes’ catchprase was “deface the currency.” He wandered about Athens openly criticizing anyone and everyone in public. He was homeless, only owned the clothes on his back and a walking stick and a bowl—that is, until he saw a beggar boy drinking water out of his cupped hands. With that, he exclaimed, “A child has beaten me in plainness of living,” and threw away the bowl.
Diogenes ate, slept, and lived in public, most notably sleeping in a large urn and, yes, masturbating in public. Despite being an insulting, spurious figure, he became such a fixture of Athens that he was celebrated as part of the city in his own way; when a teenager shattered the urn that he lived in, the city of Athens punished the teenager and funded a new urn to be given in its place. I imagine this was because they prided themselves in their diversity of philosophical schools, their freedom of thought, and amusing public discourse—which, Diogenes was nothing if not amusing.
He once went about in broad daylight with a lantern. Whenever someone would ask him what he was doing, he would say, “Looking for a man (meaning in context, a true human being).” Cynics considered man to be basically good in his natural state, but corrupted by artifice. They actually looked to animals and saw that they are happier than others. Diogenes liked being compared to a dog, for after all, a dog is shameless (as he believed one should be—you shouldn’t pursue even slightly the respect of others). A dog eats and shits and breeds in public and feels no shame. And dogs are one of the happiest species out there!
It’s interesting, I think he has a point while simultaneously disagreeing with him somewhat. I think some types of shamelessness are to be admired, but not all. My criticism of them is the same that some other philosophers levied at them, which was that there was no place for a cynic to be a productive member of society or to engage in politics, because they think of the whole thing as hogwash. This is a conflict I find myself frequently up against. I view politics as fundamentally corrupt and broken, and yet, the system we have is better than other systems (so far…I don’t assume that we can’t find a better one). And if I don’t participate, then I’m really not making the system any better. But I digress.
This book is a history of cynicism throughout ancient Greek history, following a handful of cynic philosophers, and terminating in Julian, a Roman emperor who was not a true philosopher in the sense of that being his main occupation, but who was influential in preserving the legacy of cynicism.
There are many colorful tales in this book and a good exploration of both the merits and the valid criticisms of the philosophy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and not just because I’m a bit of a cynic myself, but because it was quite accessible, only a couple hundred pages in length, and probably the most engaging ancient Greek book so far in terms of stories and anecdotes. I highly recommend it as a good entry text to the world of ancient Greek philosophy. I would read this, several of Plato’s works, a handful of stoic works, and if you’re feeling brave, Epictetus’s The Art of Happiness—or just skim it for the good parts.
My dad described a philosopher to me whose area of expertise was determinism. He was emphatic in his books about how there was no such thing as luck, or God. Then one day, he was telling my dad a story about how when he was gambling, he was on a good streak, and he “just knew” that he was going to keep winning, that some unseen force was on his side. My dad said, “what do you mean? You say in your philosophy that there’s no such thing as luck.” He said, “Oh, that’s philosophy. That doesn’t apply to real life.”
You can guess what I think about that.
Cynic philosophers were on the other end of the spectrum. They dispensed with any study of mathematics or metaphysics (things that other Greek schools of thought all felt the need to obligatorily have a stance on, even if it was only tangentially related at best to their projects). Cynicism focused entirely on putting into practice how to live a truly happy life, prompting others to ask whether it was truly a philosophy or more a “way of life.” What should true philosophy be if not a way of life?
And that’s why I like the Greek philosophers so much more than modern philosophers. Modern philosophers are so caught up with whether they CAN make an argument that they never stop to ask if they SHOULD be making an argument.
On the other hand, cynicism was a way of life first and foremost, making some even question whether it counted as a true philosophy, since it had no school and completely ignored certain popular philosophical questions and the natural sciences as being unnecessary.
Cynics saw all of the things that money is used to buy and said, I don’t need any of those things. They carefully observed how the pursuit of wealth was an infinite game that only made the person pursuing it want more and more, and in the end, leads only to misery. Likewise, the pursuit of status in society only feeds an insatiable beast. But observe the lily of the meadows and the birds of the fields, how they don’t worry about what to eat or what to wear, and yet they never want. Oh wait—was that Jesus?—my bad.
The founder of cynicism was Diogenes “The Dog,” a name meant to be insulting but which he embraced with relish. Diogenes’ catchprase was “deface the currency.” He wandered about Athens openly criticizing anyone and everyone in public. He was homeless, only owned the clothes on his back and a walking stick and a bowl—that is, until he saw a beggar boy drinking water out of his cupped hands. With that, he exclaimed, “A child has beaten me in plainness of living,” and threw away the bowl.
Diogenes ate, slept, and lived in public, most notably sleeping in a large urn and, yes, masturbating in public. Despite being an insulting, spurious figure, he became such a fixture of Athens that he was celebrated as part of the city in his own way; when a teenager shattered the urn that he lived in, the city of Athens punished the teenager and funded a new urn to be given in its place. I imagine this was because they prided themselves in their diversity of philosophical schools, their freedom of thought, and amusing public discourse—which, Diogenes was nothing if not amusing.
He once went about in broad daylight with a lantern. Whenever someone would ask him what he was doing, he would say, “Looking for a man (meaning in context, a true human being).” Cynics considered man to be basically good in his natural state, but corrupted by artifice. They actually looked to animals and saw that they are happier than others. Diogenes liked being compared to a dog, for after all, a dog is shameless (as he believed one should be—you shouldn’t pursue even slightly the respect of others). A dog eats and shits and breeds in public and feels no shame. And dogs are one of the happiest species out there!
It’s interesting, I think he has a point while simultaneously disagreeing with him somewhat. I think some types of shamelessness are to be admired, but not all. My criticism of them is the same that some other philosophers levied at them, which was that there was no place for a cynic to be a productive member of society or to engage in politics, because they think of the whole thing as hogwash. This is a conflict I find myself frequently up against. I view politics as fundamentally corrupt and broken, and yet, the system we have is better than other systems (so far…I don’t assume that we can’t find a better one). And if I don’t participate, then I’m really not making the system any better. But I digress.
This book is a history of cynicism throughout ancient Greek history, following a handful of cynic philosophers, and terminating in Julian, a Roman emperor who was not a true philosopher in the sense of that being his main occupation, but who was influential in preserving the legacy of cynicism.
There are many colorful tales in this book and a good exploration of both the merits and the valid criticisms of the philosophy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and not just because I’m a bit of a cynic myself, but because it was quite accessible, only a couple hundred pages in length, and probably the most engaging ancient Greek book so far in terms of stories and anecdotes. I highly recommend it as a good entry text to the world of ancient Greek philosophy. I would read this, several of Plato’s works, a handful of stoic works, and if you’re feeling brave, Epictetus’s The Art of Happiness—or just skim it for the good parts.
August 10, 2021
Though the two are related, there's a clear distinction between the Cynics and the philosophy of pessimism. These two words are often conflated today.
The pessimists typically found and exposed the philosophical issues with time, and humankind's place within it. This kind of pessimism is/was bolstered by the likes of Arthur Schopenhauer, Philipp Mainländer, Peter Zapffe, and Thomas Ligotti.
The Cynics, on the other hand, concerned themselves with the degeneracy of society. This collection reveals the Cynics as a pragmatic group of thinkers who wished to expose the vacuity of high-mindedness and material possession. I would recommend this for anyone interested in philosophy and the history of thought.
The pessimists typically found and exposed the philosophical issues with time, and humankind's place within it. This kind of pessimism is/was bolstered by the likes of Arthur Schopenhauer, Philipp Mainländer, Peter Zapffe, and Thomas Ligotti.
The Cynics, on the other hand, concerned themselves with the degeneracy of society. This collection reveals the Cynics as a pragmatic group of thinkers who wished to expose the vacuity of high-mindedness and material possession. I would recommend this for anyone interested in philosophy and the history of thought.
December 30, 2021
A good introduction to the Cynic philosophy. The first part includes a short discussion on the Cynic philosophy cornerstones. Then a chapter for each of the main Cynic philosophers is presented. In these chapters a short bio is provided as well as texts reflecting their views and deeds on the Cynic philosophy.
January 6, 2022
6/10
Reject modernity, embrace P I T H O S
Reject modernity, embrace P I T H O S
April 20, 2019
Brilliant introduction into the world of Cynic Philosophy. I have never been much into it, thinking it a pretentious and redundant study but whilst going through the book a lot of points resonated with me and clicked with some of my opinions and attitudes towards life. I've got a few more schools that I'd like to read into as a result.
It's very informative, well written and is in places quite funny. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's very informative, well written and is in places quite funny. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 30, 2013
A great compendium of writings by and about noted Cynics in the ancient world, from ancient sources. I'd call Cynic philosophy an intensified version of Stoic philosophy and a way of life that could never be about mass acceptance but rather as a "leavening" in ordinary society. (And there are indications of course that Jesus might have intended his own followers as such.)
July 9, 2020
The Cynics were a sort of trickster-saint order of ultra-Stoics who overturned conventional values and asserted more deliberate ones in the bold ways they lived their lives. Unfortunately, most of what we can know about early Cynic philosophers we know third-hand. Fortunately, Robert Dobbin has compiled much of this scattered information into this book.
August 20, 2021
Years ago, in ancient Greece, the son of a bank owner named Diogenes of Sidone visited the temple of Delphi to ask Apollo’s advice on how to live a happy life. The sibyl went into a trance and spoke the words, “Deface the currency.” Diogenes interpreted it as a directive to reject the dominant belief system of Athens. In The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian we are given a well-rounded series of writings regarding the ideas and practices of Diogenes and his followers.
Diogenes of Sidone went to study under Antisthenes, an associate of Socrates but the two ended up parting ways. Diogenes developed his own ideas that were specifically related to the philosophical branch of ethics and the theme of how to live a good life. From his observations of the wealthy and the powerful, he drew the conclusion that their way of life was all wrong since they were never happy or satisfied. Their lives were dangerous and more stressful while their relationships with others were never based on trust and affection. At the root of all this was desire and the more these people desired what they did not have or could not have, the more they suffered due to their consciousness of lack.
Diogenes essentially arrived at the same conclusion as the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. But while the Buddha turned to meditation as a means of reducing desires, Diogenes developed “askesis”, a set of exercises and lifestyle practices to achieve the same goal. Diogenes was homeless, owned one piece of clothing, begged for food, and eventually threw away his only possessions, a cup and a plate, because he learned to feed himself without them. He believed that the human body alone has almost everything it needs to live in happiness and comfort. The farther from nature a person gets, the less satisfied they are with their life. Citizens of Athens derisively nicknamed him “Cyn”, meaning “dog”. Just as slurs and epithets have often been adopted by their targets and turned into terms of pride, like the way “queer” has been re-appropriated in our times, Diogenes accepted this designation and began calling his students “Cynics”. After all, dogs live close to nature, needing little except for food and water, and are far happier than people. Dogs, in Diogenes’ mind, are as close to perfection as any living creature can get.
But while Buddha withdrew from the world and embraced the calm and the serenity of enlightenment, the Cynics were brash, abrasive and arrogant. In their rebellion, they enjoyed arguing with other people and debating philosophical principles. Diogenes, who rarely ever bathed, was known to masturbate in public and once, after giving a lecture in the agora about the virtues of Hercules, squatted to shit while everyone watched. He wasn’t a cruel or cranky person though; commentators often complimented him for being friendly, kind, and with a nice social disposition.
As can be seen from this book, the Cynics themselves put littler of their philosophy into writing. For sure, they believed that writing is unnatural. What is collected for this volume are scraps and fragments gathered from writers outside their community. Some of it is fictional, apocryphal, or slanderous. Some is scholarly, informative, possibly accurate, and written with genuine interest even when the writers did not choose to follow the Cynics. This is not only a good account of who the Cynics were, what they believed, and how they lived but it also provides a nice picture of life in ancient Greece with all its vivacity, optimism, and pursuit of truth at any cost. The pages of this book, like all great literature from ancient Greece, radiate with a noble spirit.
As a philosophical school, the Cynics lasted about 600 years and some of their ideas influenced both the Stoics and the early Christians, even though the Cynics themselves spoke with contempt about Christianity. But after Diogenes of Sidone died, the followers began to emphasize the lifestyle more than the philosophical inquiry. Diogenes was a philosopher in the true sense of the word, meaning he examined ideas using rationality and logic as a means of deciding what is true. Some of his reasoning is well-detailed in this book. The later Cynics, though, developed into more of a tribe or what we in today’s world might consider a counter-culture, possibly even a cult or a sect. They became less about debate and more about following a stylized and abrasive opposition to their host society.
Overall, The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian is both entertaining and informative. It creates a vivid picture of an overlooked part of ancient history. It also shows how the philosophy of the Cynics is still relevant today, as it has been all throughout history. We can see how their ideas set a precedent for heretical sects in the Middle Ages, fraternal orders like the Franciscans and the Jesuits, utopian societies and communes of the 19th century, and the great counter-cultures and political movements of the 20th century like women’s liberation, free love, socialism, anarchism, and the back to nature ideals that complement the environmentalism. The Cynics might have something to say to those of use stuck living with Late Capitalism and the mindless cellphone culture as the rich grow greedier and more cruel while the rest of us are getting trapped in economic downward mobility, free-falling in a consumer-oriented society where people don’t earn enough money to be consumers. If the Cynics were here today, they would not be surprised to see that rates of loneliness, mental illness, suicide, and mass shootings are increasing dramatically. The never-ending pursuit of our desires is making us sick. Diogenes, were he alive today, would laugh at us and probably piss on our feet while saying “I told you so.”
Diogenes of Sidone went to study under Antisthenes, an associate of Socrates but the two ended up parting ways. Diogenes developed his own ideas that were specifically related to the philosophical branch of ethics and the theme of how to live a good life. From his observations of the wealthy and the powerful, he drew the conclusion that their way of life was all wrong since they were never happy or satisfied. Their lives were dangerous and more stressful while their relationships with others were never based on trust and affection. At the root of all this was desire and the more these people desired what they did not have or could not have, the more they suffered due to their consciousness of lack.
Diogenes essentially arrived at the same conclusion as the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. But while the Buddha turned to meditation as a means of reducing desires, Diogenes developed “askesis”, a set of exercises and lifestyle practices to achieve the same goal. Diogenes was homeless, owned one piece of clothing, begged for food, and eventually threw away his only possessions, a cup and a plate, because he learned to feed himself without them. He believed that the human body alone has almost everything it needs to live in happiness and comfort. The farther from nature a person gets, the less satisfied they are with their life. Citizens of Athens derisively nicknamed him “Cyn”, meaning “dog”. Just as slurs and epithets have often been adopted by their targets and turned into terms of pride, like the way “queer” has been re-appropriated in our times, Diogenes accepted this designation and began calling his students “Cynics”. After all, dogs live close to nature, needing little except for food and water, and are far happier than people. Dogs, in Diogenes’ mind, are as close to perfection as any living creature can get.
But while Buddha withdrew from the world and embraced the calm and the serenity of enlightenment, the Cynics were brash, abrasive and arrogant. In their rebellion, they enjoyed arguing with other people and debating philosophical principles. Diogenes, who rarely ever bathed, was known to masturbate in public and once, after giving a lecture in the agora about the virtues of Hercules, squatted to shit while everyone watched. He wasn’t a cruel or cranky person though; commentators often complimented him for being friendly, kind, and with a nice social disposition.
As can be seen from this book, the Cynics themselves put littler of their philosophy into writing. For sure, they believed that writing is unnatural. What is collected for this volume are scraps and fragments gathered from writers outside their community. Some of it is fictional, apocryphal, or slanderous. Some is scholarly, informative, possibly accurate, and written with genuine interest even when the writers did not choose to follow the Cynics. This is not only a good account of who the Cynics were, what they believed, and how they lived but it also provides a nice picture of life in ancient Greece with all its vivacity, optimism, and pursuit of truth at any cost. The pages of this book, like all great literature from ancient Greece, radiate with a noble spirit.
As a philosophical school, the Cynics lasted about 600 years and some of their ideas influenced both the Stoics and the early Christians, even though the Cynics themselves spoke with contempt about Christianity. But after Diogenes of Sidone died, the followers began to emphasize the lifestyle more than the philosophical inquiry. Diogenes was a philosopher in the true sense of the word, meaning he examined ideas using rationality and logic as a means of deciding what is true. Some of his reasoning is well-detailed in this book. The later Cynics, though, developed into more of a tribe or what we in today’s world might consider a counter-culture, possibly even a cult or a sect. They became less about debate and more about following a stylized and abrasive opposition to their host society.
Overall, The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian is both entertaining and informative. It creates a vivid picture of an overlooked part of ancient history. It also shows how the philosophy of the Cynics is still relevant today, as it has been all throughout history. We can see how their ideas set a precedent for heretical sects in the Middle Ages, fraternal orders like the Franciscans and the Jesuits, utopian societies and communes of the 19th century, and the great counter-cultures and political movements of the 20th century like women’s liberation, free love, socialism, anarchism, and the back to nature ideals that complement the environmentalism. The Cynics might have something to say to those of use stuck living with Late Capitalism and the mindless cellphone culture as the rich grow greedier and more cruel while the rest of us are getting trapped in economic downward mobility, free-falling in a consumer-oriented society where people don’t earn enough money to be consumers. If the Cynics were here today, they would not be surprised to see that rates of loneliness, mental illness, suicide, and mass shootings are increasing dramatically. The never-ending pursuit of our desires is making us sick. Diogenes, were he alive today, would laugh at us and probably piss on our feet while saying “I told you so.”
May 27, 2019
Very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to practicing more cynicism.
September 25, 2023
9/10.
The word "cynical" is certainly a disgrace to the noble undertakings and worldview of the Cynic philosophers of the ancient world. They were not "cynical" about life. They simply realized the basic fact that man is happy when his goods over-exceed his desires. You can either increase your goods (money, land, fame, women, possessions), or lower your desires to become satisfied.
Unfortunately, those who pursue goods tend to pursue them indefinitely, always wanting more. They are forever envious of their neighbors, with their new "toys", and thus pointlessly compete with them in a game that does not matter. Do we see the rich, wealthy, and powerful as uniquely happy? Certainly not. What happiness does multitudes of divorces, years spent in law courts, and a complete inability to preserve peace and solitude give you? No happiness whatsoever.
If this is the case, then we must pursue the second option: decreasing our desires. This is a key Stoic tenet, but it is less known that the first Stoic, Zeno, was a direct descendent of the earlier, Cynic school of philosophy. The Cynics, unlike many Stoics, really did live out their philosophy. They lived in barrels, slept on hard rock, folded their cloak to keep warm, and ate simple rye bread.
The best life that man can live, according to the Cynics, is one of war: war against one's feminine impulse to complain and whine about every pain; and war against the saccharine seductions of pleasure. One should fight against these two. Says Dio Chrysostom: "A real man thinks hardships are his worthiest opponents. He enjoys grappling with them day and night — and not for the benefit of a sprig of parsley, like goats, or for a branch of olive or pine . . . He welcomes all of them in turn — battling cold and hunger, enduring thirst, never yielding even if the whip, the sword, or fire is applied. Hunger, exile, social stigma and the like are matters of indifference; the philosopher makes sport of them as children play with dice or multicoloured balls."
Modernity tells us that there is a solution to every pain, every problem, every fear, every mental pseudo-condition. We are supposed to buy products, take pills, lie down, and go buy McDonalds to solve our problems. Every pinprick of pain can be immediately extinguished and laid to rest. Thus we run around all our lives, trying to solve these "problems". We wake up in the morning and feel tired. Oh no! We race to Starbucks in our cars. Then we feel a bit of hunger in our stomachs. Immediately we boot up the DoorDash app. We feel a bit of pain in our side. Two pills of ibuprofen down the hatch!
It seems that everything in the modern world is a complete cope, a cope for a weakness of soul and willpower. We have been promised that everything can be solved for us externally. Yet, what happens to us? We become the weakest men the world has ever seen! Where is the fortitude? The patience? The temperance? The endurance? Are we really going to run around like chickens with their heads cut off, every time we feel a slight negative sensation? It is quite absurd.
All of this makes us feel like Diogenes, who "in the full light of day, a lighted lamp in hand . . . used to go about saying, 'I'm looking for a man'". Where are the men? Let us say with Lucian to our fellow moderns: "In winter you want summer, in summer, winter, when it's hot you want cold, when it's cold you want hot — like people who are sick and never content but always complaining. But if in their case their sickness is to blame in yours it is you who are to blame."
How do we conquer this mentality? We must first feel our desires, and then with our mind, say "No!" to them. Self-discipline is the beginning. This applies to food, drink, sex, cushy accommodation, and people's opinions. Then think about what Nature requires. Do you need this ultra-cushy bed? Do you need fifteen spices on your food? Do you need to become a slave to externals? Do you want to become a weakling? Do you want to be laughed at by Nature become of your dependence on completely unnecessary things?
I sure hope not. Let us free ourselves from externals, enlarge our domain of control, and free the direction of our soul from the nether regions of our bodies. By doing so we will become nearer to the ultimate practitioner of all of these goods — God.
The word "cynical" is certainly a disgrace to the noble undertakings and worldview of the Cynic philosophers of the ancient world. They were not "cynical" about life. They simply realized the basic fact that man is happy when his goods over-exceed his desires. You can either increase your goods (money, land, fame, women, possessions), or lower your desires to become satisfied.
Unfortunately, those who pursue goods tend to pursue them indefinitely, always wanting more. They are forever envious of their neighbors, with their new "toys", and thus pointlessly compete with them in a game that does not matter. Do we see the rich, wealthy, and powerful as uniquely happy? Certainly not. What happiness does multitudes of divorces, years spent in law courts, and a complete inability to preserve peace and solitude give you? No happiness whatsoever.
If this is the case, then we must pursue the second option: decreasing our desires. This is a key Stoic tenet, but it is less known that the first Stoic, Zeno, was a direct descendent of the earlier, Cynic school of philosophy. The Cynics, unlike many Stoics, really did live out their philosophy. They lived in barrels, slept on hard rock, folded their cloak to keep warm, and ate simple rye bread.
The best life that man can live, according to the Cynics, is one of war: war against one's feminine impulse to complain and whine about every pain; and war against the saccharine seductions of pleasure. One should fight against these two. Says Dio Chrysostom: "A real man thinks hardships are his worthiest opponents. He enjoys grappling with them day and night — and not for the benefit of a sprig of parsley, like goats, or for a branch of olive or pine . . . He welcomes all of them in turn — battling cold and hunger, enduring thirst, never yielding even if the whip, the sword, or fire is applied. Hunger, exile, social stigma and the like are matters of indifference; the philosopher makes sport of them as children play with dice or multicoloured balls."
Modernity tells us that there is a solution to every pain, every problem, every fear, every mental pseudo-condition. We are supposed to buy products, take pills, lie down, and go buy McDonalds to solve our problems. Every pinprick of pain can be immediately extinguished and laid to rest. Thus we run around all our lives, trying to solve these "problems". We wake up in the morning and feel tired. Oh no! We race to Starbucks in our cars. Then we feel a bit of hunger in our stomachs. Immediately we boot up the DoorDash app. We feel a bit of pain in our side. Two pills of ibuprofen down the hatch!
It seems that everything in the modern world is a complete cope, a cope for a weakness of soul and willpower. We have been promised that everything can be solved for us externally. Yet, what happens to us? We become the weakest men the world has ever seen! Where is the fortitude? The patience? The temperance? The endurance? Are we really going to run around like chickens with their heads cut off, every time we feel a slight negative sensation? It is quite absurd.
All of this makes us feel like Diogenes, who "in the full light of day, a lighted lamp in hand . . . used to go about saying, 'I'm looking for a man'". Where are the men? Let us say with Lucian to our fellow moderns: "In winter you want summer, in summer, winter, when it's hot you want cold, when it's cold you want hot — like people who are sick and never content but always complaining. But if in their case their sickness is to blame in yours it is you who are to blame."
How do we conquer this mentality? We must first feel our desires, and then with our mind, say "No!" to them. Self-discipline is the beginning. This applies to food, drink, sex, cushy accommodation, and people's opinions. Then think about what Nature requires. Do you need this ultra-cushy bed? Do you need fifteen spices on your food? Do you need to become a slave to externals? Do you want to become a weakling? Do you want to be laughed at by Nature become of your dependence on completely unnecessary things?
I sure hope not. Let us free ourselves from externals, enlarge our domain of control, and free the direction of our soul from the nether regions of our bodies. By doing so we will become nearer to the ultimate practitioner of all of these goods — God.
Read
June 14, 2021"I hope never to hanker after more than others, but instead be granted the capacity to do with less."
"Listen to your enemies, they are the first to point out your faults."
"And of course men of simple tastes are more ethical than men bent on amassing wealth since we are less likely to want what belongs to others when we are happy with what we have."
"'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.'"
"'Know yourself' and 'Deface the currency': two Pythian proverbs. And the latter means, scorn common opinion and value truth over the moral coin of the masses."
"Asked what he had gained from philosophy, he answered, 'This, if nothing else: to be prepared for any contingency.'"
"Whether you like to or not, acquire the habit of working hard, then you won't have to work hard. Idleness does not make work easy, it ensures that work will be hard."
"If you have nothing to rouse or stir you to action, nothing to test your character by way of challenges or attack - if you recline in a constant state of inertia – that, he says, is not peace, it is a coma."
"Fear exists by consensus. Your fear of death is like your fear of malicious gossip. But what is more stupid than a person afraid of what other people say?"
"Among his many admirable sayings, our friend Demetrius recently added another, which still rings in my ears: 'Nothing seems to be more unfortunate than a man who has never had to face misfortune.' For he has never had the chance to test himself."
"A city is not simply expensive or inexpensive, it is a matter of one's habits. Live one way and it costs dearly, live simply and it is affordable. The same applies to the state of things in life: adopt a spirit of accommodation and it will seem free and easy; otherwise it is bound to seem hard."
"Character makes all the difference: whoever can make use of money great resources wisely can likewise cope with few."
"As long as his character remains the same, he will never be satisfied or content. His tastes and desires will be so numerous and extravagant that he will be in a continual state of shortage and lack. ‘Corrupt men are never content.’"
"As the pilot caught in a storm said, 'Whatever happens, Poseidon, be sure that this ship wilI at least remain on an even keel.' In the same spirit, a good man might say, 'Do your worst, Fortune. At all events you'll find in me a man not short of spirit.'"
"Shortly before death he was asked what his wishes were regarding funeral arrangements. 'Don't trouble yourself, the stench will ensure that I get buried.'
'But,' the other objected, 'isn't it wrong that the body of a great man should be exposed as food for birds and dogs?'
'On the contrary,' he said, 'it's the part of a great man, even in death, to be of service to the living.'"
"Patients, after all, are sometimes coddled, and then their illness is immediately transformed into a kind of self-indulgence, especially if they are rich."
"You can satisfy yourself that the Stoics put 'Know yourself at the head of their philosophy from books they wrote on this very topic. But how they defined the goal of philosophy – life in agreement with nature - furnishes even more compelling proof, because this goal cannot be attained by anyone who does not know who he is or what his nature is like."
"For the majority of people, following common opinion is fine. It is certainly better than acting shamelessly, and mankind is naturally inclined to the truth. But anyone who has attained to a life of reason, who can make sound decisions, should not be governed by conventional ideas about good and bad behaviour."
"Actions should not be categorized as good or bad by the degree of praise (or blame) they arouse; their value lies in their nature."
"Listen to your enemies, they are the first to point out your faults."
"And of course men of simple tastes are more ethical than men bent on amassing wealth since we are less likely to want what belongs to others when we are happy with what we have."
"'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.'"
"'Know yourself' and 'Deface the currency': two Pythian proverbs. And the latter means, scorn common opinion and value truth over the moral coin of the masses."
"Asked what he had gained from philosophy, he answered, 'This, if nothing else: to be prepared for any contingency.'"
"Whether you like to or not, acquire the habit of working hard, then you won't have to work hard. Idleness does not make work easy, it ensures that work will be hard."
"If you have nothing to rouse or stir you to action, nothing to test your character by way of challenges or attack - if you recline in a constant state of inertia – that, he says, is not peace, it is a coma."
"Fear exists by consensus. Your fear of death is like your fear of malicious gossip. But what is more stupid than a person afraid of what other people say?"
"Among his many admirable sayings, our friend Demetrius recently added another, which still rings in my ears: 'Nothing seems to be more unfortunate than a man who has never had to face misfortune.' For he has never had the chance to test himself."
"A city is not simply expensive or inexpensive, it is a matter of one's habits. Live one way and it costs dearly, live simply and it is affordable. The same applies to the state of things in life: adopt a spirit of accommodation and it will seem free and easy; otherwise it is bound to seem hard."
"Character makes all the difference: whoever can make use of money great resources wisely can likewise cope with few."
"As long as his character remains the same, he will never be satisfied or content. His tastes and desires will be so numerous and extravagant that he will be in a continual state of shortage and lack. ‘Corrupt men are never content.’"
"As the pilot caught in a storm said, 'Whatever happens, Poseidon, be sure that this ship wilI at least remain on an even keel.' In the same spirit, a good man might say, 'Do your worst, Fortune. At all events you'll find in me a man not short of spirit.'"
"Shortly before death he was asked what his wishes were regarding funeral arrangements. 'Don't trouble yourself, the stench will ensure that I get buried.'
'But,' the other objected, 'isn't it wrong that the body of a great man should be exposed as food for birds and dogs?'
'On the contrary,' he said, 'it's the part of a great man, even in death, to be of service to the living.'"
"Patients, after all, are sometimes coddled, and then their illness is immediately transformed into a kind of self-indulgence, especially if they are rich."
"You can satisfy yourself that the Stoics put 'Know yourself at the head of their philosophy from books they wrote on this very topic. But how they defined the goal of philosophy – life in agreement with nature - furnishes even more compelling proof, because this goal cannot be attained by anyone who does not know who he is or what his nature is like."
"For the majority of people, following common opinion is fine. It is certainly better than acting shamelessly, and mankind is naturally inclined to the truth. But anyone who has attained to a life of reason, who can make sound decisions, should not be governed by conventional ideas about good and bad behaviour."
"Actions should not be categorized as good or bad by the degree of praise (or blame) they arouse; their value lies in their nature."
July 1, 2025
The cynics were a loosely associated group of philosophers who espoused notions of living in accordance with virtue and nature and criticizing wealth and social standing. They considered themselves to be homeless in terms of a city where they might pledge their allegiance and, rather, thought of themselves as citizens of the world. Their mantra was “deface the currency,” by which they advocated for the “inversion of all values.” They were somewhere in between Henry David Thoreau–with his challenges to mainstream society–and the Satanic Temple (the group that puts up statues of satan at courthouses where there are also statues of the Ten Commandments)–with their penchant for offending.
This particular collection contains excerpts from around fourteen adherents of the philosophy over the course of many hundreds of years. Some of them may not be completely authentic, but even these still provide the details of cynic thought.
Diogenes of Sinope, nicknamed the dog because of his course and filthy lifestyle, is the most famous and the most fun to hear stories about. He courted controversy wherever he went, as he would masturbate in public and advocate for things like cannibalism. But they all had a knack for rhetoric and one-liners. A later cynic, Demetrius once said, “The talk of fools to me is like the sound of farts. For what difference is it to me whether their rumblings issue from above or below?”
Unfortunately, their messages in a collection like this get repetitive after a while, and anyone reading these from anything but a scholarly perspective may get bored. And I know I’m looking at this from too modern a lens, but some of their views, while partially commendable, such as their stance on poverty, seem like they could easily be cynically (in the modern sense of the word) manipulated. And, too often, they ignore the importance of social connection. If I had to boil down my complaints, I like how they discard formalities and hierarchies but not how they discard certain aspects of humanity.
I may not fully agree with their beliefs or lifestyles, but I do appreciate anyone who is willing to challenge accepted conventions. And anyone who considers farting to be a political act is okay in my book.
This particular collection contains excerpts from around fourteen adherents of the philosophy over the course of many hundreds of years. Some of them may not be completely authentic, but even these still provide the details of cynic thought.
Diogenes of Sinope, nicknamed the dog because of his course and filthy lifestyle, is the most famous and the most fun to hear stories about. He courted controversy wherever he went, as he would masturbate in public and advocate for things like cannibalism. But they all had a knack for rhetoric and one-liners. A later cynic, Demetrius once said, “The talk of fools to me is like the sound of farts. For what difference is it to me whether their rumblings issue from above or below?”
Unfortunately, their messages in a collection like this get repetitive after a while, and anyone reading these from anything but a scholarly perspective may get bored. And I know I’m looking at this from too modern a lens, but some of their views, while partially commendable, such as their stance on poverty, seem like they could easily be cynically (in the modern sense of the word) manipulated. And, too often, they ignore the importance of social connection. If I had to boil down my complaints, I like how they discard formalities and hierarchies but not how they discard certain aspects of humanity.
I may not fully agree with their beliefs or lifestyles, but I do appreciate anyone who is willing to challenge accepted conventions. And anyone who considers farting to be a political act is okay in my book.
January 31, 2024
Reasonable introduction but feels the story is not complete
The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian, by a variety of (close) contemporaries and translated by Robert Dobbin, provides an introduction of the main characters and central themes that shaped the Cynic philosophy. The Cynics were one of the main philosophical schools in the Hellenistic period that developed after the death of Socrates. They tried to keep his ideas on the search of happiness via virtue and wisdom alive. By living a simple life, focused on self-sufficiency, physical endurance, self-control and poverty the Cynics practiced their philosophy more than anything else. This gave them total freedom to ignore, criticise or ridicule any Greek / Roman convention. The resulting outrageous behaviour and witty sharpness must have enraged as much as amused the people in the communities they lived.
No writing exists or survives of the early Cynics, so the sources used in this book are that of (close) contemporaries ranging from Epictetus, Plutarch and Strabo to Diogenes Laërtius, the Roman emperor Julian and some later less known Cynics. The result is a collection of the well-known short stories and anecdotes of the most famous Cynics that illustrate the ideas and ideals of the Cynic life style. I found it amusing and interesting, but also repetitive and missing a central story line of the rise and decline of Cynic thought and way of living. However, as always with the Penguin Classics, the excellent introduction gives the source material some context and the notes at the back of the book are a treasure trove of beautiful nuggets of additional information.
In summary, The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian is a nice introduction of the main tenets of the Cynics and their most famous adherents. It makes it a relative easy read, but it feels it does not tell the whole story. However, I can recommend this to anybody interested in ancient philosophy or Greek and Roman history.
The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian, by a variety of (close) contemporaries and translated by Robert Dobbin, provides an introduction of the main characters and central themes that shaped the Cynic philosophy. The Cynics were one of the main philosophical schools in the Hellenistic period that developed after the death of Socrates. They tried to keep his ideas on the search of happiness via virtue and wisdom alive. By living a simple life, focused on self-sufficiency, physical endurance, self-control and poverty the Cynics practiced their philosophy more than anything else. This gave them total freedom to ignore, criticise or ridicule any Greek / Roman convention. The resulting outrageous behaviour and witty sharpness must have enraged as much as amused the people in the communities they lived.
No writing exists or survives of the early Cynics, so the sources used in this book are that of (close) contemporaries ranging from Epictetus, Plutarch and Strabo to Diogenes Laërtius, the Roman emperor Julian and some later less known Cynics. The result is a collection of the well-known short stories and anecdotes of the most famous Cynics that illustrate the ideas and ideals of the Cynic life style. I found it amusing and interesting, but also repetitive and missing a central story line of the rise and decline of Cynic thought and way of living. However, as always with the Penguin Classics, the excellent introduction gives the source material some context and the notes at the back of the book are a treasure trove of beautiful nuggets of additional information.
In summary, The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian is a nice introduction of the main tenets of the Cynics and their most famous adherents. It makes it a relative easy read, but it feels it does not tell the whole story. However, I can recommend this to anybody interested in ancient philosophy or Greek and Roman history.
December 13, 2022
Direct translation of ancient works with limited modern relevance… and a few powerful ideas
The Cynics spurned property, power, and even social approval. They rejected custom and comfort, embracing instead an impoverished life of sleeping outdoors, foraging for food, and dressing in a single dirty cloak in full view of their metropolitan neighbors. This, they proclaimed for all to hear, is a shortcut to virtue and the only real path to freedom and happiness. The simple, natural life, they insisted, is the cure for “enslavement to the belly and the groin” and the “opinions of the crowd.”
”Learn to scorn pleasure, to respect hard work, ignore reputation, good or bad, and not to fear death, and you will be able to do anything you want, and gladly too.” - Teles
Don’t be fooled, though. The selection of translations in this book contain few gems for modern readers other than to present a well-rounded perspective on the lives of those ancient philosophers. Their arguments often appeal to forgotten myths, dead gods, and a virtue ethic that is no longer universal. Some of them even read like the treatise of an adolescent boy: full of vulgarity and assertions about the makings of a ‘real man’. Often, what they considered ‘rational’ now seems dubious.
On the whole, it’s a short, worthy read. Dobbin’s forty-page introduction to Cynicism is enlightening, the translated works from millennia ago often mention social issues with surprising parallels to our own, and I found the philosophy itself compelling enough to study its founders. I would recommend this to dedicated readers with an interest in Cynic ideologies.
”You can even derive pleasure from despising pleasure once you have got used to it.”
The Cynics spurned property, power, and even social approval. They rejected custom and comfort, embracing instead an impoverished life of sleeping outdoors, foraging for food, and dressing in a single dirty cloak in full view of their metropolitan neighbors. This, they proclaimed for all to hear, is a shortcut to virtue and the only real path to freedom and happiness. The simple, natural life, they insisted, is the cure for “enslavement to the belly and the groin” and the “opinions of the crowd.”
”Learn to scorn pleasure, to respect hard work, ignore reputation, good or bad, and not to fear death, and you will be able to do anything you want, and gladly too.” - Teles
Don’t be fooled, though. The selection of translations in this book contain few gems for modern readers other than to present a well-rounded perspective on the lives of those ancient philosophers. Their arguments often appeal to forgotten myths, dead gods, and a virtue ethic that is no longer universal. Some of them even read like the treatise of an adolescent boy: full of vulgarity and assertions about the makings of a ‘real man’. Often, what they considered ‘rational’ now seems dubious.
On the whole, it’s a short, worthy read. Dobbin’s forty-page introduction to Cynicism is enlightening, the translated works from millennia ago often mention social issues with surprising parallels to our own, and I found the philosophy itself compelling enough to study its founders. I would recommend this to dedicated readers with an interest in Cynic ideologies.
”You can even derive pleasure from despising pleasure once you have got used to it.”
December 5, 2025
This is a nice collection of Cynic writings, lessened somewhat by the need to bulk up the pages from a paucity of historical material. It starts very strong, with Antisthenes and Diogenes, with good material on the marriage of Crates and Hipparchia and zingers from Bion, but it loses steam as it enters the Roman period (as perhaps did the school itself). The selections from Epictetus and Emperor Julian are scattershot and bowdlerized, with little new insight into a philosophy that had apparently lost some luster over its 600-year history. It seems like "putting on the doubled cloak" became a refuge for hucksters and ne'er-do-wells, as the Stoic school more successfully packaged Cynicism's ideas for broader consumption in a less challenging formulation.
I will admit, the Cynics are probably not best served with long discourses and compendia. They weren't too interested in the finer points of physics or logic, and practiced ethics in a hortatory rather than analytic mode. Dobbin has assembled a good sourcebook to get the flavor, but maybe that's the best method to engage with these ideas. Once you get all the best anecdotes about the OG crustpunks keeping the virtue scene pure, it's diminishing returns to keep reading about a lived philosophy instead of, well, living it. Get out there and deface the currency, man!
I will admit, the Cynics are probably not best served with long discourses and compendia. They weren't too interested in the finer points of physics or logic, and practiced ethics in a hortatory rather than analytic mode. Dobbin has assembled a good sourcebook to get the flavor, but maybe that's the best method to engage with these ideas. Once you get all the best anecdotes about the OG crustpunks keeping the virtue scene pure, it's diminishing returns to keep reading about a lived philosophy instead of, well, living it. Get out there and deface the currency, man!
May 20, 2025
there's some good stuff here, but man there was a lot of fluff. Not very approachable as a philosophy reference to learn something from. I do like some concepts from big "C" Cynicism. Focus on yourself, do not live beyond your means, live authentically, practice what you preach. I mainly picked this up to learn about Diogenes because he's funny, but a lot of these other Cynics just praise Diogenes and criticize all the other Cynics for not jerking off in the street and living in squalor like Diogenes did. While Cynicism is similar to Stoicism, it is far more restrictive. Stoicism you can kind of pick and choose how intense you get while still practicing, but what I kind of got from Cynicism is if you partake in some earthly comforts, you're a fraud and look up to God Emperor Diogenes for jerking off while living in a trash can in the city
July 26, 2025
As a first timer reading about philosophy I am still in awe about what does it really means to read about the original texts. AA a way of life, framework or own philosophy cynicism is an interesting way to find virtue. Going to the very source of our needs we can learn how to live free and confront in a wider way the different challenges that life will present through our very existence here in earth. I find it fascinating how can use this book as a manual on thinking and living, however it is not an easy task by any means to believe that your road to virtue will be paved on roses, the one take that I will highlight from the book is that if you want to have a life of virtues from the cynic standpoint you will need to overcome any outside need and give your life to autarkia. A Huge endeavor I might say…
January 3, 2021
I think this book has made me reconsider the entire meaning of the word 'cynical', its moderate, misused interpretation, and any modern frame of mind i might have had.
I loved the evolution of the philosophy, for which i found initially, so depressing, but yet with the chapter on Julian (which enticed me to the book), to be so positive, exacting, surprising. I loved some of the stories of the comebacks of Diogenes, the revelatory meaning of Hercules, Apollo, Prometheus, the existential questioning of Eptitectus and the practical outlook of Julian the great/apostate.
On short reflection, i think this equally short book; its Greeks, Romans, Pagans, biographies, philosophies, and cynics-incredible.
I loved the evolution of the philosophy, for which i found initially, so depressing, but yet with the chapter on Julian (which enticed me to the book), to be so positive, exacting, surprising. I loved some of the stories of the comebacks of Diogenes, the revelatory meaning of Hercules, Apollo, Prometheus, the existential questioning of Eptitectus and the practical outlook of Julian the great/apostate.
On short reflection, i think this equally short book; its Greeks, Romans, Pagans, biographies, philosophies, and cynics-incredible.
February 27, 2025
An informative overview of Cynic philosophical themes, history, and major thinkers. The author compiled documents from several sources to offer a glimpse into the various personalities, anecdotes, sayings, and colourful stories of a dozen ancient followers. A nice excerpt from Plato's Symposium is included alongside the lesser known stories of Hipparchia, wife of Crates as well as Dio Chrysostom. It was also interesting to learn that the Greek word 'cyn' is related to English 'canine.' The "dog pack" ferrel approach toward living philosophy contrasts the Spartan and Athenian ways. Diogenes' unorthodox reputation as The Dog Philosopher is accounted for by hearsay in which he answers to his choices to live freely on the streets.
October 15, 2019
' I'd sooner lose my mind than lose myself in pleasure ' — Antisthenes
What is the most important thing to learn? ' How not to forget what you have learned ' — Antisthenes
While he lay sick Diogenes visited him with a dagger on his person. ' Could you use a friend? ' he said. ' Won't someone release me from my agony? ' Antisthenes asked. ' This will, ' the other replied. ' From my Agony, I said ', Antisthenes responded, ' not from my life.'
He, after all, wanted nothing, while the other could never get enough of anything. — About Diogenes
' Other dogs bite enemies, I, by comparison, bite my friends, in a spirit of correction ' - Diogenes
' My mind represents for me my medium, like wood to a carpenter, or leather to a shoe-maker. The goal in my case is correct use of impressions. The body is irrelevant to me, as are its members. Death, too, whether of the whole body or a part, can come when it likes. And exile? Where can they send me? Nowhere outside the world, since, wherever I end up, the sun will be there, as will the moon and stars. There will still be dreams, birds of augury, and other means of staying in touch with the gods '
' I'm afraid that laws may do no good at all, whether they are written with good men in mind, or bad. The former don't need them, and the latter ar not improved by them. ' Demonax
What is the most important thing to learn? ' How not to forget what you have learned ' — Antisthenes
While he lay sick Diogenes visited him with a dagger on his person. ' Could you use a friend? ' he said. ' Won't someone release me from my agony? ' Antisthenes asked. ' This will, ' the other replied. ' From my Agony, I said ', Antisthenes responded, ' not from my life.'
He, after all, wanted nothing, while the other could never get enough of anything. — About Diogenes
' Other dogs bite enemies, I, by comparison, bite my friends, in a spirit of correction ' - Diogenes
' My mind represents for me my medium, like wood to a carpenter, or leather to a shoe-maker. The goal in my case is correct use of impressions. The body is irrelevant to me, as are its members. Death, too, whether of the whole body or a part, can come when it likes. And exile? Where can they send me? Nowhere outside the world, since, wherever I end up, the sun will be there, as will the moon and stars. There will still be dreams, birds of augury, and other means of staying in touch with the gods '
' I'm afraid that laws may do no good at all, whether they are written with good men in mind, or bad. The former don't need them, and the latter ar not improved by them. ' Demonax
July 7, 2021
An excellent collection of "bits" of philosophical ephemera, mostly the thrice-told tales from Diogenes Laertius that were recycled endlessly by the writers of antiquity. This means, of course, that there's loads of repetition here, aside from the compelling longer excerpts from Lucian, Epictetus, and Julian the Apostate at the end of the book. But you'll walk away with the basics of what Diogenes, Crates, et al. stood for, even if there's not much in the way of "system" to be found here. Owing to its fragmented format, it makes for a good bathroom read.
July 20, 2025
This collection of Cynic writings, writings about Cynics, and collections of folk-stories of Cynic behaviour, is really good. My only criticism would be that the quality of the writing (as editor Robert Dobbin acknowledges) is uneven and that Cynics apparently didn't have a sophisticated enough worldview to stay fresh - it is really a handful of arguments being restated throughout. Still, it is interesting and often funny, and you get a sense of the evolution of Cynicism through the years into something more diffuse or even more shallow than it's earlier days.
February 28, 2020
Quite interesting if you're interested in discovering what a true cynic was like.
A quote from the book: "The true short cut to philosophy is this: a man must step outside himself and know that the soul within him is divine. He must ever and always train his mind on clean, pure and holy thoughts. His body he must despise; he should think of it, to quote Heraclitus as 'more disposable than dirt'' .
A quote from the book: "The true short cut to philosophy is this: a man must step outside himself and know that the soul within him is divine. He must ever and always train his mind on clean, pure and holy thoughts. His body he must despise; he should think of it, to quote Heraclitus as 'more disposable than dirt'' .
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