Move away, don't block the sun for me, who said. Diogenes of Sinop: biography, interesting facts, video

In Antiquity, humanity made a cultural leap and expanded the horizons of knowledge.

This served as fertile ground for the emergence of schools of philosophy. Then the teaching of Socrates was formulated, supplemented and revised by his illustrious student Plato. This teaching has become a classic, it remains relevant in our time. + But there were other philosophical schools, for example, the school of the Cynics, founded by another student of Socrates - Antisthenes. And a prominent representative of this trend was Diogenes of Sinop, he became famous for eternal disputes with Plato, as well as outrageous, and sometimes very vulgar antics. It turns out that outrageous people met in ancient times. Among them came across and philosophers, like Diogenes of Sinope.

From the biography of Diogenes:

Little is known about the life of Diogenes, and the surviving information is debatable. What is known about the biography of the philosopher fit into one chapter of the book of his namesake, the late antique scientist and bibliographer Diogenes Laertes “On Life, Teachings and Sayings famous philosophers».

According to this book, ancient Greek philosopher was born in 412 BC, in the city of Sinop (hence his nickname), located on the Black Sea coast. Nothing is known about Diogenes' mother. The boy's father, Hykesius, worked as a repast - so in Ancient Greece they called money changers and usurers.

Diogenes' childhood passed during turbulent times - in his hometown, conflicts constantly broke out between pro-Greek and pro-Persian groups. Due to the difficult social situation, Gikesias began to forge coins, but the trapezit was quickly caught red-handed. Diogenes, who was also about to be arrested and punished, managed to escape the city. Thus began the journey of Diogenes, which led him to Delphi.

In Delphi, tired and exhausted, Diogenes turned to the local oracle with the question of what to do next. The answer, as expected, was vague: “Engage in revisiting values and priorities.” At that moment, Diogenes did not understand these words, so he did not attach any importance to them and went on wandering.

Then the road led Diogenes to Athens, where in the city square he encountered the philosopher Antisthenes, who struck Diogenes to the core. Then Diogenes decided to stay in Athens to become a student of the philosopher, although Diogenes aroused a feeling of hostility in Antisthenes.

Diogenes had no money (according to some sources, they were stolen by his friend Manes, with whom Diogenes arrived in Athens). He couldn't buy a house or even rent a room. But this did not become a problem for the future philosopher: Diogenes dug in next to the temple of Cybele (not far from the Athenian agora - the central square) pithos - a large clay barrel in which the Greeks stored food so that they would not be lost (ancient version of the refrigerator). Diogenes began to live in a barrel (pithos), which served as the basis for the expression "Diogenes' barrel".

Although not immediately, Diogenes managed to become a student of Antisthenes. The elderly philosopher could not get rid of the stubborn student even with the help of beating with a stick. As a result, it was this student of his who glorified cynicism as a school ancient philosophy.

Diogenes' philosophy was based on asceticism, the rejection of all the blessings of beings, and also the imitation of nature. Diogenes did not recognize states, politicians, religions and clergy (an echo of communication with the Delphic oracle), and considered himself a cosmopolitan - a citizen of the world.

After the death of the teacher, the affairs of Diogenes became very bad, the townspeople believed that he had lost his mind, as evidenced by his vulgar regular antics. It is known that Diogenes publicly engaged in masturbation, declaring that it would be great if hunger could be quenched by stroking his stomach.

During a conversation with Alexander the Great, the philosopher called himself a dog, but this is what Diogenes called himself before. Once, several townspeople threw him a bone like a dog and wanted to force him to gnaw it. However, they could not predict the result - like a dog, Diogenes took revenge on bullies and offenders by urinating on them.

There were also less extravagant performances. Seeing an inept archer, Diogenes sat down near the target, saying that this was the safest place. And he stood naked in the rain. When the townspeople tried to take Diogenes under a shed, Plato said that it was not worth it: the best help to Diogenes' vanity would be to not touch him.

The history of disagreements between Plato and Diogenes is interesting, but Diogenes only once managed to really beautifully beat his opponent - this is the case with Plato's man and the plucked chicken. In other cases, the victory remained with Plato. Modern scholars are of the opinion that the native of Sinop was simply jealous of his more successful opponent.

It is also known about the conflict with other philosophers, including Anaximenes of Lampsakus and Aristippus. Between skirmishes with competitors, Diogenes continued to play weird and answer people's questions. One of the eccentricities of the philosopher gave the name to another popular expression - "the lantern of Diogenes." The philosopher walked around the square with a lantern during the day, exclaiming: "I am looking for a man." Thus, he expressed his attitude towards the people around him. About the inhabitants of Athens, Diogenes often spoke unflatteringly. One day the philosopher started to lecture in the marketplace, but no one listened to him. Then he squealed like a bird, and a crowd immediately gathered around him. “This is the level of your development,” Diogenes said, “when I said smart things, they ignored me, but when I squealed like a rooster, everyone began to watch with interest.”

When the military conflict of the Greeks with the Macedonian king Philip II began, Diogenes left Athens, going by ship to the shores of Aegina. However, it was not possible to get there - the ship was captured by pirates, and everyone on it was either killed or captured.

From captivity, Diogenes was sent to the slave market, where he was acquired by the Corinthian Xeanides in order for the philosopher to teach his children. It is worth noting that Diogenes was a good teacher - in addition to riding, throwing darts, history and Greek literature, the philosopher taught the children of Xeanides to eat and dress modestly, as well as to exercise to maintain their physical shape and health.

Students and acquaintances offered the philosopher to redeem him from slavery, but he refused, arguing that this supposedly illustrates the fact that even in slavery he can be "the master of his master." In fact, Diogenes was happy to have a roof over his head and regular meals.

The philosopher died on June 10, 323, being a slave to Xeanid. They buried Diogenes face down - as requested. On his grave, in Corinth, there is a tombstone made of Parian marble with words of gratitude from the disciples and wishes of eternal glory. Also, a dog was made of marble, symbolizing the life of Diogenes. Diogenes introduced himself as a dog to Alexander the Great when the Macedonian king decided to get acquainted with the famous marginal philosopher. To Alexander's question: "Why a dog?" Diogenes answered simply: “Whoever throws a piece, I wag him; To a playful question about the breed of a dog, the philosopher also answered without being wiser: "When hungry - Maltese (i.e. affectionate), when full - Milo (i.e. evil)".

Diogenes denied the family and the state, arguing that children and wives are common, and there are no borders between countries. Based on this, it is difficult to establish the biological children of the philosopher.

According to the book of the bibliographer Diogenes Laertes, the philosopher from Sinop left behind 14 philosophical works and 2 tragedies (in some sources, the number of tragedies increases to 7). Most of them have survived thanks to other writers and philosophers who use the sayings and sayings of Diogenes. The surviving writings include "On Wealth", "On Virtue", "The Athenian People", "The Science of Morality" and "On Death", and among the tragedies - "Hercules" and "Helen".

Interesting Facts from the life of Diogenes:

* Diogenes actually lived not in a barrel, as many believe, but in a pithos - an earthen vessel for storing grain. The wooden barrel was invented by the Romans 5 centuries after the death of Diogenes.

* Once a very rich man invited Diogenes to his luxurious house and warned him: “Look how clean it is in my house, don’t try to spit somewhere.” After inspecting the dwelling and marveling at its beauty, Diogenes approached the owner and spat in his face, declaring that this was the dirtiest place he had found.

* Diogenes often had to beg, but he did not ask for alms, but demanded: "Fools, give to the philosopher, because he teaches you to live!"

*When the Athenians were busy preparing for the war with Philip of Macedon and there was fuss and excitement around, Diogenes began to roll his pithos through the streets. Many asked him why he was doing this, to which Diogenes replied: "Everyone is busy with business, and so am I."

*When Alexander the Great conquered Attica, he decided to personally meet Diogenes and came to him with an offer to fulfill any desire. Diogenes asked him to move away so as not to obscure the sun. To which the commander remarked that if he had not been Alexander the Great, he would have become Diogenes.

* Once, returning from Olympia, when asked if there were many people there, Diogenes said: “There are a lot of people, but there are no people.”

* And another time, going out to the square, he began to shout: “Hey, people, people!”, But when the people ran, he began to drive them away with a stick, saying: “I called people, not scoundrels.”

* Seeing the son of a prostitute throwing stones at the crowd, Diogenes said: "Beware of hitting your father!"

* After Plato defined man as an animal walking on two legs and devoid of wool and feathers, Diogenes brought a plucked rooster to his school and released him, solemnly proclaiming: “Now you are a man!” Plato had to add the phrase "... and with flat nails" to the definition.

* During his lifetime, Diogenes was often called a dog for his behavior, and this animal became a symbol of the Cynics - the followers of Diogenes.

*A monument in the form of a dog standing on a column was erected on the grave of Diogenes in Corinth.

Quotes and sayings of Diogenes of Sinop:

1. When the philosopher Diogenes needed money, he did not say that he would borrow it from friends; he said that he would ask his friends to return the debt to him.

2. To a man who asked what time you should have breakfast, Diogenes answered: “If you are rich, then when you want, if you are poor, then when you can.

3. “Poverty itself paves the way to philosophy. What philosophy tries to convince in words, poverty forces to carry out in practice.

4. "Philosophy and medicine have made man the most intelligent of animals, divination and astrology the most insane, superstition and despotism the most unfortunate."

5. When asked where he came from, Diogenes said: "I am a citizen of the world."

6. Seeing the gossiping women, Diogenes said: "One viper borrows poison from another."

7. "Treat the nobles like fire: do not stand either very close or very far from them."

8. When asked at what age one should marry, Diogenes replied: “It’s too early for the young, it’s too late for the old.”

9. "The slanderer is the most fierce of wild animals."

10. "Teaching an old man is like treating a dead man."

11. "If you give to others, give to me, if not, then start with me."

12. "When extending your hand to friends, do not clench your fingers into a fist."

13. "Love is the business of those who have nothing to do."

14. "Philosophy gives readiness for any turn of fate."

15. "Death is not evil, for there is no dishonor in it."

16. "Be in good mood- inflict torment on their envious people.

17. "Voluptuousness is the occupation of people who are not busy with anything else."

18. "Those who keep animals must admit that they are more likely to serve animals than animals to them."

19. "In order to live properly, one must have either reason or a noose."

20. "The flatterer is the most dangerous of tame animals."

Biography

Biography (en.wikipedia.org)

Feature article

Due to the large number of conflicting descriptions and doxographies, the figure of Diogenes today appears too ambiguous. The works attributed to Diogenes that have survived to this day are most likely created by followers and belong to a later time. Information has also been preserved about the existence of at least five Diogenes in one period. This greatly complicates the systematic organization of information about Diogenes of Sinop.

The name of Diogenes, from anecdotes and legends, in which it belonged to the ambivalent figure of the sage-buffoon and integrated extensive fiction, was often transferred to the critical works of other philosophers (Aristotle, Diogenes Laertius, etc.). On the basis of anecdotes and parables, a whole literary tradition of antiquity arose, embodied in the genres of apophtegms and chryas (Diogenes Laertius, Metrocles of Maronea, Dio Chrysostom, and others). The most famous story is how Diogenes searched for a Man in the afternoon with fire (the same story was told about Aesop, Heraclitus, Democritus, Archilochus, etc.).

The main source of information about Diogenes is the treatise "On the Life, Teachings and Sayings of Famous Philosophers" by Diogenes Laertius. Claiming in Diogenes of Sinop the unsystematic views and lack of teaching in general, Diogenes Laertius nevertheless reports, referring to Sotion, about 14 works of Diogenes, among which are presented as philosophical works (“On Virtue”, “On Good”, etc.), and several tragedies. Turning, however, to a vast number of Cynic doxographies, one can come to the conclusion that Diogenes had a well-formed system of views. According to these testimonies, he, preaching an ascetic lifestyle, despised luxury, being content with the clothes of a tramp, using a pithos (a large vessel for wine) for housing, and in the means of expression he was often so straightforward and rude that he earned himself the names "Dog" and "crazy Socrates".

There is no doubt that in their conversations and Everyday life Diogenes often behaved like a marginal subject, shocking this or that audience not so much with the aim of insulting or humiliating it, but rather out of the need to pay attention to the foundations of society, religious norms, the institution of marriage, etc. He affirmed the primacy of virtue over the laws of society; rejected belief in gods established by religious institutions. He rejected civilization, in particular the state, considering it a false invention of demagogues. He declared culture a violence against a human being and called for a person to return to a primitive state; preached the communion of wives and children. He declared himself a citizen of the world; promoted the relativity of generally accepted norms of morality; the relativity of authorities not only among politicians, but also among philosophers. So, his relationship with Plato, whom he considered a talker, is well known. In general, Diogenes recognized only ascetic virtue based on the imitation of nature, finding in it the only goal of man.

In the later tradition, the negative actions of Diogenes in relation to society were, more than likely, deliberately exaggerated. Therefore, the whole history of the life and work of this thinker appears as a myth created by many historians and philosophers. It is difficult to find unambiguous information even of a biographical nature. Due to his originality, Diogenes is one of the most prominent representatives of antiquity, and the cynical paradigm set by him later had a serious impact on a wide variety of philosophical concepts.

He died, according to Diogenes Laertes, on the same day as Alexander the Great. A marble monument in the form of a dog was erected on his grave, with the epitaph:
Let copper grow old under the power of time - yet
Your glory will survive the ages, Diogenes:
You taught us how to live, being content with what you have,
You have shown us a path that is easier than ever.

exiled philosopher

It is believed that Diogenes began his "philosophical career" after he was expelled from his hometown for defacing a coin.

Laertius mentions that before turning to philosophy, Diogenes ran a chasing workshop, and his father was a money changer. The father tried to involve his son in the manufacture of counterfeit coins. Doubting Diogenes took a trip to Delphi to the oracle of Apollo, who gave advice to "make a reassessment", as a result of which Diogenes took part in his father's scam, was exposed with him, caught and expelled from his native city.

Cases from the life of Diogenes

* Once, already being an old man, Diogenes saw how the boy drank water from a handful, and in frustration threw his cup out of the bag, saying: "The boy surpassed me in the simplicity of life." He also threw away the bowl when he saw another boy who, having broken his bowl, was eating lentil stew from a piece of eaten bread.
* Diogenes begged for alms from the statues, "to accustom himself to failure."
* When Diogenes asked someone for a loan of money, he did not say “give me money”, but “give me money”.
* When Alexander the Great came to Attica, he, of course, wanted to get acquainted with the famous "marginal" like many others. Plutarch says that Alexander waited a long time for Diogenes himself to come to him to pay his respects, but the philosopher calmly spent time at his place. Then Alexander himself decided to visit him. He found Diogenes in Crania (in a gymnasium near Corinth) while he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: “I - great king Alexander". “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” "And why are you called a dog?" “Whoever throws a piece - I wag, who doesn’t throw - I bark, who evil person- I bite. "Are you afraid of me?" Alexander asked. “And what are you,” Diogenes asked, “evil or good?” "Good," he said. "And who is afraid of good?" Finally, Alexander said: "Ask me for whatever you want." “Step back, you are blocking the sun for me,” Diogenes said and continued to warm himself. On the way back, in response to the jokes of his friends who made fun of the philosopher, Alexander allegedly even remarked: “If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes.” Ironically, Alexander died on the same day as Diogenes on June 10, 323 BC. e.
* When the Athenians were preparing for war with Philip of Macedon and the city was in turmoil and excitement, Diogenes began to roll his barrel in which he lived through the streets. When asked why he was doing this, Diogenes replied: "Everyone is busy with business, me too."
* Diogenes said that grammarians study the disasters of Odysseus and do not know their own; musicians harmonize the strings on the lyre and cannot cope with their own temper; mathematicians follow the sun and moon, but do not see what is under their feet; orators teach to speak correctly and do not teach to act correctly; finally, misers scold money, but they themselves love it most of all.
* The lantern of Diogenes, with which he wandered in broad daylight through crowded places with the words “I am looking for a Man,” became a textbook example in antiquity.
* Once, having washed, Diogenes left the bathhouse, and acquaintances who were just about to wash were walking towards him. "Diogenes," they asked in passing, "what's it like there, full of people?" "Enough," Diogenes nodded. Immediately he met other acquaintances who were also going to wash and also asked: “Hi, Diogenes, what, do many people wash?” "People - almost no one," Diogenes shook his head. Returning once from Olympia, when asked if there were many people there, he replied: “There are a lot of people, but very few people.” And once he went to the square and shouted: “Hey, people, people!”; but when the people came running, he attacked him with a stick, saying: "I called people, not scoundrels."
* Diogenes now and then engaged in masturbation in front of everyone; when the Athenians remarked about this, they say, “Diogenes, everything is clear, we have democracy and you can do whatever you want, but aren’t you going too far?”, he answered: “If only hunger could be appeased by rubbing the stomach.”
* When Plato gave a definition that had great success: "Man is an animal with two legs, devoid of feathers”, Diogenes plucked the rooster and brought it to school, announcing: “Here is the Platonic man!” To which Plato was forced to add to his definition "... and with flat nails."
* Once Diogenes came to a lecture to Anaximenes of Lampsakus, sat in the back rows, took a fish out of a bag and raised it over his head. First, one listener turned around and began to look at the fish, then another, then almost all of them. Anaximenes was indignant: “You ruined my lecture!” “But what is a lecture worth,” said Diogenes, “if some salty fish overturned your reasoning?”
* When asked what wine he would like to drink, he answered: “Alien”.
* Once someone brought him to a luxurious dwelling and remarked: “You see how clean it is here, don’t spit somewhere, you’ll be fine.” Diogenes looked around and spat in his face, declaring: "But where to spit if there is no worse place."
* When someone was reading a long essay and an unwritten place at the end of the scroll already appeared, Diogenes exclaimed: “Be of good cheer, friends: the shore is visible!”
* To the inscription of one newlywed who wrote on his house: “Zeus’ son, victorious Hercules, dwells here, so that evil does not enter!” Diogenes added: "First war, then alliance."
* In a large crowd of people, where Diogenes was also, some young man involuntarily let out gases, for which Diogenes hit him with a stick and said: “Listen, scoundrel, did you really not do anything to behave impudently in public, you started showing us here your contempt for [majority] opinions?” -
* “When Diogenes farted and shitted in the agora, as they say, he did it in order to trample on human pride and show people that their own actions are much worse and more painful than what he did, because what he did, it was according to nature" - Julian. To the ignorant cynics
* Once the philosopher Aristippus, who made his fortune by praising the king, saw Diogenes washing lentils and said: “If you were praising the king, you wouldn’t have to eat lentils!” To which Diogenes objected: “If you learned to eat lentils, then you would not have to glorify the king!”
* Once, when he (Antisthenes) waved a stick at him, Diogenes, turning his head, said: "Beat, but you will not find such a strong stick to drive me away until you say something." Since then, he became a student of Antisthenes and, being an exile, led the simplest life. -

Notes

1. Julian. To the ignorant cynics
2. Diogenes Laertes. About the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers. Book VI. Diogenes

Biography

Diogenes, Detail of Rafaello Santi's "The School of Athens" (1510), Vatican collection, Vatican City

Puchinov M. I. "Conversation of Alexander the Great with Diogenes"

Diogenes of Sinop was born about 400 BC new era. Diogenes was the son of noble parents. In his youth, he was expelled from his hometown on charges of making counterfeit money. Around 385, Diogenes arrived in Athens and became a student of the philosopher Antisthenes, the founder of the Cynic school.

Diogenes traveled widely and lived for some time in Corinth.

Author of 7 tragedies and 14 ethical dialogues that have not survived to this day. The hero of numerous parables and anecdotes that depict Diogenes as an ascetic philosopher who lived in a barrel (pithos), a preacher of cynical virtue (a reasonable return to natural nature), a subverter of public morality.

One of the most famous parables about Diogenes tells: Alexander the Great wanted to make Diogenes rich and, going up to the barrel in which the philosopher settled, asked: “What would you like to get from me, Diogenes?” Diogenes calmly replied: “For you to move away, since you block the sun for me.” It must be admitted that history has not left an unambiguous interpretation of this parable. Some consider the words of Diogenes to be subtle, sophisticated flattery, while the majority regard this as the highest manifestation of the philosopher's worldview - a complete disregard for the generally accepted order of things.

Diogenes considered primitive society ideal, and therefore resolutely rejected civilization, the state, culture. He did not recognize patriotism, called himself a cosmopolitan, and, following Plato, rejected the family, preaching the community of wives. He showed absolute indifference to the comforts of life and, not having his own housing, settled in a barrel.

Of all the civil and human categories of being, he recognized only one - ascetic virtue. In his adherence to the school of Cynics, he far surpassed his teacher - Antisthenes

Died about 323 BC. e.

Diogenes and Alexander (quote)

And now Alexander stops in front of Diogenes, who is squatting, and the whole crowd freezes in silent delight, surrounding them in a dense ring.

It was one of the first warm days of spring, and Diogenes climbed out of his barrel to bask in the sun. He sat and carelessly squinted into the light of God, sometimes scratching now his thick reddish beard, now his dirty side, until the dark figure of a handsome fair-haired youth appeared before him. But Diogenes did not even seem to notice his appearance and continued to look straight ahead, as if through this man and through the crowd that had come with him.

Without waiting for a greeting, and hearing the tense sniffling of the crowd behind him, Alexander, still with the same friendly smile, took one more step towards this insolent man and said:

Hello, glorious Diogenes! I have come here to greet you. All Greece is only talking about your new wisdom that you preach. So I came to look at you and maybe get some advice.

Can wisdom be preached? asked Diogenes, narrowing his eyes even more. - If you want to become wise, become poor. But, judging by your appearance, you are a rich man and proud of it. Who are you?

Alexander's face frowned for a moment, but he pulled himself together and smiled again.

You don't know who I am, glorious Diogenes? I am Alexander, son of Philip. Maybe you've heard of me?

Yes, they talk a lot about you Lately Diogenes answered dispassionately. “You are the one who stormed Thebes and exterminated thirty thousand men, women, children and old people there?”

Are you judging me? Alexander asked.

No, - Diogenes answered, thinking a little, - you surprise me. They say that you want to unite the Greeks to fight the Persians. Was it necessary to kill so many innocents first? Do you hope to unite people with fear?

Alexander already regretted that he had not obeyed the teacher and came to this miserable ragamuffin, but there was nowhere to retreat: the Greeks stood around - his people, and the fate of the great cause that he thought.

But, Diogenes, didn't you say that people - by their primary nature - are animals? And what does a person do when the animal is stubborn? So what do you do when the donkey that is pulling your cart suddenly stops and does not want to go?

I don't ride donkeys, answered Diogenes ingenuously. - But if this happened, I would think hard: why did the donkey become? After all, every phenomenon has its own reason. Perhaps he wants to drink? Or maybe he wanted to pinch the juicy grass? .. But I don't ride donkeys. After all, animals don't ride animals, do they? I walk - it is both useful and fair.

You are very wise - said Alexander, taking another step towards Diogenes. But your wisdom is your wisdom. If people are like animals, then they are different like animals. What is good for a sheep is not good for an eagle. And what is good for an eagle is not good for a lion. And each of these animals must follow its destiny.

And what is your purpose? asked Diogenes, swaying forward a little, as if considering getting up.

Unite the Greeks to conquer the whole world for them! Alexander said loudly so that everyone could hear his words.

The world is so vast, Diogenes said thoughtfully. He's more likely to conquer you than you him.

No matter how huge it is, with the support of my Greeks, I will reach the ends of the earth! - confidently exclaimed the young man.

And what will you do when you conquer the world?

I'll be back home - Alexander said cheerfully. - And I will rest in the sun as carelessly as you are now.

It seemed to the young king, this darling of fate, that he had honorably ended such a difficult conversation at the beginning.

So you just need to conquer the whole world for this? asked Diogenes, and in his words there was now clearly a mockery. - And what's stopping you right now to throw off your shiny clothes and sit next to me? If you want, I'll even give you my seat.

Alexander was taken aback. He did not know what to say to this cunning man who had so cleverly lured him into a trap. The people behind him, who had been admiringly silent just a minute ago, now suddenly moved, hummed dully, whispering certain words into the neighbors' ears, and some of them even, unable to restrain themselves, sprinkled choked laughter into their outstretched palms.

You are very impudent, old man - finally squeezed out Alexander. - Not everyone would dare to talk like that to the conqueror of Thebes. I see that those who say that you know no fear either in your deeds or in your words are right. If this is your wisdom, then it is akin to madness. But I like crazy people. I'm a little obsessed myself. And therefore I am not angry with you and, as a sign of respect for your madness, I am ready to fulfill any of your requests. Speak what do you want? I promise to fulfill - or I am not Alexander the son of Philip!

The crowd fell silent again. And again it seemed to Alexander that he had defeated this savage, who did not recognize the power of conventions over himself.

I don't need anything - Diogenes answered almost audibly in perfect silence, and for the first time in the whole conversation he smiled with the clear smile of a child. - However, if it's not difficult for you, move a little to the side - you block the sun for me.

Alexander turned purple. He heard nothing but the rush of blood in the veins that swollen at his temple. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and stood as if paralyzed...

Finally, his hand slipped from the hilt and hung, dangling limply, along the body. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

Alexander abruptly turned around and walked away. And ahead of him were his soldiers, rudely pushing aside the crowd, which had not yet come to their senses from everything they had heard.

This is how the story ended.

However, there is another version - more common. It says that the last word still remained with Alexander, as if exclaiming in admiration at the crazy words of Diogenes:

I swear, if I wasn't Alexander, I'd like to be Diogenes!

The same story says that Alexander on the same evening sent truly royal gifts to Diogenes, which he, almost all of them, gave away as usual to random people, leaving himself only a jug of wine and some bread and cheese.

In fact, Aristotle came up with this belated answer for Alexander. He also launched the story about the meeting of the great Alexander with the great Diogenes, with the ending he invented, to the people when they arrived in Athens.

Diogenes of Sinop (Gorobei M.S. Report on the course "Psychology of communication and oratory" / Donetsk, DonNTU. - 2011.)

Introduction

DIOGENES OF SINOP (c. 412 - c. 323 BC), Greek philosopher, founder of Cynicism. He was a preacher of cynic virtue (reasonable return to natural nature), a subverter of public morality. There are two assumptions about the origin of the name Cynics. The most common is the origin from the name of the Athenian hill Kinosarg (“Grey Dog”) with a gymnasium, where the founder of the school Antisthenes studied with his students. The second option is directly from the word "????" (kion - dog), since Antisthenes taught that one should live "like a dog." Whichever explanation was correct, the Cynics accepted the nickname "dogs" as their symbol. He spent most of his time traveling around Greece, calling himself a citizen not of a polis state, but of the entire cosmos - a “cosmopolitan” (later this term was widely used by the Stoics). Diogenes traveled widely and lived for some time in Corinth.

exiled philosopher

It is believed that Diogenes began his "philosophical career" after he was expelled from his hometown for defacing a coin. Laertius mentions that before turning to philosophy, Diogenes ran a chasing workshop, and his father was a money changer. The father tried to involve his son in the manufacture of counterfeit coins. Doubting Diogenes took a trip to Delphi to the oracle of Apollo, who gave advice to "make a reassessment", as a result of which Diogenes took part in his father's scam, was exposed with him, caught and expelled from his native city.

Another version says that after the exposure, Diogenes himself fled to Delphi, where, in response to the question of what he needs to do to become famous, he received advice from the oracle to “make a soul-searching.” After this, Diogenes set out on a wandering tour of Greece, c. 355-350 BC e. appeared in Athens, where he became a follower of Antisthenes.

Diogenes looked like this:
- was completely bald, although he wore a long beard, so that, according to his alleged words, not to change the appearance given to him by nature;
- was stooped to a hunchback, because of this, his gaze was always frowning;
- walked, leaning on a stick, in the upper part of which there was a bough, where Diogenes hung his knapsack of a wanderer;
He treated everyone with caustic contempt.

Diogenes dressed as follows:
- a short cloak on a naked body,
- bare feet,
- bag over the shoulder and travel staff;
- his dwelling was also famous: he lived in a clay barrel on the Athenian square.

Teachings of Diogenes

Diogenes wrote a lot, including tragedies (in which, apparently, he propagated his teachings). Author of 7 tragedies and 14 ethical dialogues that have not survived to this day. The hero of numerous parables and anecdotes that depict Diogenes as an ascetic philosopher who lived in a barrel (pithos).

On the basis of later reports, conclusions can be drawn about the essence of the teachings of Diogenes. The main content of the teachings of Diogenes was the moralistic preaching of the ideal of life according to nature and ascetic abstinence in everything related to bodily needs. A strict denouncer of all sexual intemperance (especially teenage and female prostitution), he himself was known to the Athenian inhabitants as a “shameless man”, prone to various obscene gestures, which showed his contempt for the norms and “laws” of human existence.

The philosopher taught that a person has very few natural needs, and all of them can be easily satisfied. Besides, nothing natural, according to Diogenes, can be shameful. Limiting needs, Diogenes diligently indulged in asceticism and foolishness, which served as the basis for numerous anecdotes about his life. So, after observing the mouse, Diogenes decided that property was not needed for happiness; glancing at the snail carrying the house on its back, Diogenes settled in a clay barrel - a pithos; seeing a child drinking from a handful, he threw away the last thing he had - a cup.

Diogenes rejected all conventions that forbade the satisfaction of natural needs at any time and in any place. He was the first of the Greek philosophers to preach cosmopolitanism. Diogenes tried to convey to all people his conviction that the rejection of desires is much more virtuous and beneficial than their satisfaction. For his "shamelessness" he was nicknamed "dog", and this animal became a symbol of the Cynics.

Diogenes considered primitive society ideal, and therefore resolutely rejected civilization, the state, and culture. He did not recognize patriotism, called himself a cosmopolitan, and, following Plato, rejected the family, preaching the community of wives.

Diogenes lived in a barrel, wanting to show that a true philosopher who has known the meaning of life no longer needs material goods, which are so important for ordinary people. The Cynics considered the highest moral task of man to limit his needs as much as possible and thus return to his "natural" state.

Cases from the life of Diogenes

Once, in broad daylight, he walked around Athens with a lantern, saying that he was "looking for a man."

The philosopher tempered his body: in the summer he rolled on the hot sand of the sun, and in the winter he hugged statues covered with snow. There is also a legend about the hardening of Diogenes.

When Diogenes asked someone for a loan of money, he did not say “give me money”, but “give me money”.

When Alexander the Great came to Attica, he, of course, wanted to get acquainted with the famous "marginal" like many others. Plutarch says that Alexander waited a long time for Diogenes himself to come to him to pay his respects, but the philosopher calmly spent time at his place. Then Alexander himself decided to visit him. He found the 70-year-old Diogenes in Crania (in a gymnasium near Corinth) while he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: "I am the great Tsar Alexander." “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” "And why are you called a dog?" "Whoever throws a piece - I wag, who doesn't throw - I bark, who is an evil person - I bite." "Are you afraid of me?" Alexander asked. “And what are you,” Diogenes asked, “evil or good?” "Good," he said. "And who is afraid of good?" Finally, Alexander said: "Ask me for whatever you want." “Step back, you are blocking the sun for me,” Diogenes said and continued to warm himself.
On the way back, in response to the jokes of his friends who made fun of the philosopher, Alexander allegedly even remarked: “If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes.”

When the Athenians were preparing for war with Philip of Macedon and the city was in turmoil and excitement, Diogenes began to roll his barrel in which he lived through the streets. He was asked: “Why is this, Diogenes?” He replied: “Everyone is busy now, so it’s not good for me to idle; and I roll the barrel, because I have nothing else.

Of all the civil and human categories of being, he recognized only one - ascetic virtue. In his adherence to the school of Cynics, he far surpassed his teacher - Antisthenes.

Diogenes said that grammarians study the disasters of Odysseus and do not know their own; musicians harmonize the strings on the lyre and cannot cope with their own temper; mathematicians follow the sun and moon, but do not see what is under their feet; orators teach to speak correctly and do not teach to act correctly; finally, misers scold money, but they themselves love it most of all.

When Plato gave a definition that had great success: “Man is an animal with two legs, devoid of feathers,” Diogenes plucked a rooster and brought it to school, declaring: “Here is the Platonic man!” To which Plato was forced to add to his definition "... and with flat nails."

Once Diogenes came to a lecture to Anaximenes of Lampsakus, sat in the back rows, took a fish out of a bag and raised it over his head. First, one listener turned around and began to look at the fish, then another, then almost all of them. Anaximenes was indignant: “You ruined my lecture!” “But what is a lecture worth,” said Diogenes, “if some salty fish overturned your reasoning?”

One day, someone brought him to a luxurious dwelling and remarked: “You see how clean it is here, don’t spit somewhere, you’ll be fine.” Diogenes looked around and spat in his face, declaring: "But where to spit if there is no worse place."

When someone was reading a long essay and an unwritten place at the end of the scroll already appeared, Diogenes exclaimed: “Be of good cheer, friends: the shore is visible!”

Once, having washed, Diogenes left the bathhouse, and acquaintances who were just about to wash were walking towards him. "Diogenes," they asked in passing, "what's it like there, full of people?" "Enough," Diogenes nodded. Immediately he met other acquaintances who were also going to wash and also asked: “Hi, Diogenes, what, do many people wash?” "People - almost no one," Diogenes shook his head. Returning once from Olympia, when asked if there were many people there, he replied: “There are a lot of people, but very few people.” And once he went to the square and shouted: “Hey, people, people!”; but when the people came running, he attacked him with a stick, saying: "I called people, not scoundrels."

CONCLUSION

Ironically, Alexander died on the same day as Diogenes on June 10, 323 BC. e., eating raw octopus and getting sick with cholera; but there is also such a version that death came "from holding the breath."

On the grave of Diogenes in Corinth, a monument depicting a dog was erected.

Literature

1. "Anthology of Cynicism"; ed. I. M. Nakhova. Moscow: Nauka, 1984.
2. Diogenes Laertes. "On the Life, Teachings and Sayings of Famous Philosophers". M.: Thought, 1986.
3. Kisil V. Ya., Ribery V. V. Gallery of ancient philosophers; in 2 volumes. M., 2002
4. Nakhov I.M. Cynic Literature. M., 1981
5. Anthology of Cynicism. – Ed. preparation I.M.Nakhov. M., 1996
6. Sayings, quotes and aphorisms Diogenes

Biography

There were many Diogenes in Greece, but the most famous of them was, of course, the philosopher Diogenes, who lived in the city of Sinope in one of his famous barrels.

He did not immediately reach such a philosophical life. At first, Diogenes met with the oracle and the soothsayer advised him: ""Do a reassessment of values!"" Diogenes understood this in the literal sense and began to mint coins. Busy with this unseemly business, he saw a mouse running across the floor. And Diogenes thought - here is a mouse, she does not care about what to drink, what to eat, what to wear, where to lie down. Looking at the mouse, Diogenes understood the meaning of life, got himself a staff and a bag and began to walk around the cities and towns of Greece, often visited Corinth and it was there that he settled in a large round clay barrel.

His belongings were small - in the bag were a bowl, a mug, a spoon. And when he saw how the shepherd boy leaned over to the stream and drinks from his palm, Diogenes threw away the mug. His bag became lighter and soon, noticing the invention of another boy - he poured lentil stew directly into his palm - Diogenes threw away the bowl.

“It is easy for a philosopher to get rich, but not interesting,” said the Greek sages and very often treated worldly well-being with undisguised contempt.

One of the seven wise men was Biant from Priene, along with other countrymen, he left his native city taken by the enemy. Everyone carried and dragged with him everything he could, and only one Biant went light, without any belongings.
"Hey, philosopher! Where is your goodness?!" - laughing, they shouted after him: "Have you really not gained anything in your whole life?"
“I carry everything with me!” Biant answered proudly, and the scoffers subsided.

Living in a barrel, Diogenes hardened. He also tempered himself on purpose - in the summer he rode on the hot sand of the sun, and in the winter he hugged statues covered with snow. The philosopher generally liked to shock his countrymen, and perhaps that is why so many stories have been preserved about his antics. One of them even knew Gogol's Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov.

One day on a holiday, a barefoot man suddenly appears in the market square in a rough cloak over his naked body, with a beggar's bag, a thick stick and a lantern - he walks and shouts: "I'm looking for a man, I'm looking for a man !!!"

The people come running, and Diogenes swings a stick at them: "I called people, not slaves!"

After this incident, ill-wishers asked Diogenes: "Well, did you find a person?" to which Diogenes replied with a sad smile: “I found good children in Sparta, and good husbands- nowhere and not one.

Diogenes confused not only the simple Sinope and Corinthian people, but also his brother philosophers.

They say that once the divine Plato gave a lecture at his Academy and gave such a definition of man: "Man is an animal with two legs, without down and feathers," and he earned universal approval. The resourceful Diogenes, who did not like Plato and his philosophy, plucked the rooster and threw it into the audience with a cry: "Here is the Platonic man!"

Most likely this story is a joke. But it was obviously invented, focusing on the amazing ability of Diogenes to philosophize by the very action, the very way of life.

Diogenes lived until the time of Alexander the Great and often met with him. The stories about these meetings usually begin with the words: "Once Alexander rode up to Diogenes." The question is, why would the great Alexander, at whose feet lay several conquered kingdoms, began to drive up to the impoverished philosopher Diogenes?!

Maybe they always liked to talk about such meetings because a beggar philosopher, a prophet or a holy fool could and did tell the kings the truth right in the eyes.

So one day Alexander drove up to Diogenes and said:
- I am Alexander - the great king!
- And I'm Diogenes the dog. Those who give me, I wag my tail, those who refuse, I bark, and others I bite.
- Do you want to have dinner with me?
- Unfortunate is the one who has breakfast, lunch and dinner when Alexander wants.
- Aren't you afraid of me?
- Are you good or evil?
- Of course - good.
- Who is afraid of good?
- I am the ruler of Macedonia, and soon the whole world. What can I do for you?
- Move a little to the side, you will block the sun for me!

Then Alexander rode off to his friends and subjects and said: "If I had not been Alexander, I would have become Diogenes."

Diogenes was often made fun of, he was even beaten, but he was loved. "It was your fellow citizens who condemned you to wander?" - strangers asked him. "No, it was I who condemned them to stay at home," answered Diogenes.

"Where did you come from?" the countrymen laughed. "I am a citizen of the world!" - proudly answered Diogenes and, as historians really found out, he was one of the first cosmopolitans. Remember how many times in the history of mankind, philosophers were accused of cosmopolitanism and lack of patriotism?! And it is difficult to condemn Diogenes in both. When enemies attacked his hometown, the philosopher did not lose his head, rolled out his barrel and let's drum on it. The people fled to the city walls and the city was saved.

And then one day, when the mischievous boys took and broke his barrel, because it was made of baked clay, the wise city authorities decided that the children should be whipped so that it would not be habitual, and Diogenes should be given a new barrel. Therefore, in the philosophical museum there should be two barrels - one old and broken, and the other - new.

The legend says that Diogenes died on the same day as Alexander the Great. Alexander - at the age of thirty-three in distant and alien Babylon, Diogenes - at the eighty-ninth year of his life in his native Corinth in the city wasteland.

And among the few students there was a dispute - who should bury the philosopher. The case, as usual, was not without a fight. But their fathers and authorities came and buried Diogenes near the city gates. A column was erected over the grave, and on it was a dog carved from marble. Later, other compatriots honored Diogenes by erecting bronze monuments to him, one of which was inscribed:

"Time will age even bronze, only Diogenes glory
Eternity will transcend itself and never die!"

Literature

1. Gasparov M.L. Entertaining Greece. - M. - 1995.
2. Anthology of Cynicism. Fragments of the writings of cynic thinkers. - M. - 1984.
3. Diogenes Laertes. About the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers. - M. - 1979.
4. Fragments of early Greek philosophers. - M. - 1989.
5. Nakhov I.M. Cynic Philosophy. - M. - 1982.
6. Nakhov I.M. Cynic Literature. - M. - 1981.
7. Asmus V.F. History of ancient philosophy. - M. - 1965.
8. Shahermair F. Alexander the Great. - M. - 1986.

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/

GOU HPE "MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, STATISTICS AND INFORMATICS (MESI)" YAROSLAVSK BRANCH

Essay

Topic of the abstract on the discipline" Fundamentals of Philosophy" :

Diogenes of Sinop

Completed by a student

Usoyan S.F.

Yaroslavl

Introduction

1. Biography of Diogenes of Sinop

2. Philosophy of Diogenes of Sinop

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

Diogenes of Sinop (4th century BC) is considered the most prominent cynic philosopher. The name of this philosophical trend - cynics, according to one version, arose from the name of the Athenian gymnasium Kinosarg ("sharp dog", "frisky dogs"), in which Socrates' student Antisthenes (5th-4th centuries BC) taught. It is Antisthenes who is considered the founder of cynicism. According to another version, the term "cynic" is derived from the ancient Greek word "kyunikos" - dog. And in this sense, the philosophy of the Cynics is "dog philosophy." This version is consistent with the essence of Cynic philosophy, whose representatives argued that human needs are animal in nature and called themselves dogs.

1. Biography of Diogenes of Sinop

Diogenes of Sinop (lived in the 4th century BC, a contemporary of Alexander the Great) is the most prominent and famous theorist and practitioner of Cynic philosophy. It is believed that it was he who gave the name to this philosophical school (since one of the nicknames of Diogenes is "kinos" - a dog). In fact, the name comes from the word "Kinosart" - a hill and a gymnasium in Athens, where Antisthenes studied with students.

Diogenes was born in the city of Sinope, an Asia Minor policy on the shores of Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea), but was expelled from his native city for making counterfeit money. Since then, Diogenes wandered through the cities of ancient Greece, and most for a long time lived in Athens.

If Antisthenes developed, so to speak, the theory of Cynicism, then Diogenes not only developed the ideas expressed by Antisthenes, but also created a kind of ideal of Cynic life. This ideal included the main elements of Cynic philosophy: the preaching of the boundless spiritual freedom of the individual; demonstrative disregard for any customs and generally accepted norms of life; denial of pleasure, wealth, power; contempt for fame, success, nobility.

The motto of all Cynics can be considered the words of Diogenes: "I am looking for a man." According to legend, Diogenes, endlessly repeating this phrase, in broad daylight walked with a lit lantern among the crowd. The meaning of this act of the philosopher was that he showed people their incorrect understanding of the essence of the human personality.

Diogenes argued that man always has at his disposal the means to be happy. However, most people live in illusions, understanding happiness as wealth, fame, pleasure. He saw his task precisely in debunking these illusions. Characteristically, Diogenes argued the uselessness of mathematics, physics, music, science in general, believing that a person should know only himself, his own unique personality.

In this sense, the Cynics became the successors of the teachings of Socrates, developing to the limit his idea of the illusory nature of the ordinary human idea of happiness, of good and evil. No wonder Plato called Diogenes "the mad Socrates."

True happiness, according to Diogenes, consists in the complete freedom of the individual. Only he who is free from most needs is free. The means to achieve freedom Diogenes designated the concept of "austerity" - effort, hard work. Asceticism is not just philosophical concept. This is a way of life based on constant training of the body and spirit in order to be ready for all sorts of life's adversities; the ability to dominate one's own desires; the cultivation of contempt for pleasure and pleasure.

Diogenes himself became in history an example of a sage-ascetic. Diogenes had no property. At one time, emphasizing his contempt for human habits, he lived in a pithos - a large earthen vessel from wine. Seeing one day how the boy drank water from a handful, he threw a cup out of his bag, saying: "The boy surpassed me in the simplicity of life." He also threw away the bowl when he saw the boy who, having broken his bowl, was eating lentil stew from a piece of eaten bread. Diogenes begged for alms from the statue, and when asked why he was doing this, he said: "To accustom himself to refusals."

The philosopher's behavior was defiant, even extremist. For example, when he came to a luxurious house, he spat in the face of the owner in response to a request to keep order. When Diogenes borrowed money, he said that he only wanted to take what was owed to him. And once he began to call people, and when they ran away, he attacked them with a stick, saying that he called people, not scoundrels. Emphasizing his difference from those around him, and expressing his contempt for them, he repeatedly called himself "the dog Diogenes".

Diogenes considered the ideal, the goal of life, to achieve a state of "autarchy" (self-sufficiency), when a person comprehends vanity outside world and the meaning of his existence becomes indifference to everything except the peace of his own soul. In this sense, the episode of the meeting between Diogenes and Alexander the Great is characteristic. Having heard about Diogenes, the greatest sovereign wished to meet him. But when he approached the philosopher and said: "Ask for whatever you want," Diogenes replied: "Do not block the sun for me." This answer contains the idea of autarchy, for Diogenes is completely indifferent to everything, including Alexander, except for his own soul and his own ideas of happiness.

Already in ancient times, the teachings of the Cynics began to be called the shortest road to virtue. And on the grave of Diogenes, a marble monument in the form of a dog was erected with the inscription: "Even bronze decays with time, but your glory, Diogenes, will not pass away forever, for only you managed to convince mortals that life itself is sufficient, and show the simplest path life."

2. Philosophy of Diogenes of Sinop

Cynics is one of the philosophical schools of ancient Greece of the Socratic period. The most prominent representatives of the philosophical school of the Cynics were Antisthenes, Diogenes of Sinop, Crates.

The main goal of Cynic teaching is not the development of deep philosophical theories, but the philosophical justification of a special way of life - out of touch with society (begging, loneliness, vagrancy, etc.) - and testing this way of life on oneself.

characteristic features philosophy and lifestyle cynics were:

o erection of freedom outside of society;

o voluntary rejection, rupture of social ties, loneliness;

o lack of a permanent place of residence, wandering;

o preference; given to the worst conditions of life, old, worn out clothes, neglect of hygiene;

o praising physical and spiritual poverty;

o extreme asceticism;

o closedness;

o criticism and rejection of other philosophical teachings, especially idealistic ones;

o militancy and aggressiveness in defending one's views and way of life;

o unwillingness to argue, the desire to suppress the interlocutor;

o lack of patriotism, readiness to live in any society not according to its, but according to its own laws;

o did not have a family, ignored the state and laws, despised culture, morality, wealth;

o the concept of attention to the vices of society; the worst human traits;

o radicalism, paradoxicality, scandalousness.

Cynic philosophy arose during the crisis of the ancient polis and won the sympathy of people who did not find their place in the official system of social relations. In the modern era, the philosophy and lifestyle of yogis, hippies, etc. have a great similarity with the philosophy and way of life of cynics.

Diogenes did not leave fundamental philosophical works, but he went down in history with his anecdotal, scandalous behavior and lifestyle, as well as a number of statements and ideas:

o lived in a barrel;

o declared to Tsar Alexander the Great: "Go away and do not block the sun for me!";

o put forward the slogan: "Without a community, without a home, without a fatherland" (which became his own life and philosophical creed, as well as his followers;

o brought the concept of "citizen of the world (cosmopolitan);

o severely ridiculed supporters of the traditional way of life;

o did not recognize any laws other than the law of nature;

o was proud of his independence from the outside world, living by begging;

o idealized the life of primitive people and animals.

Aphorisms, quotes, sayings, phrases of Diogenes of Sinop

· To teach an old man - what to treat a dead man.

Love is the business of those who have nothing to do.

· Death is not evil, for there is no dishonor in it.

· When extending your hand to your friends, do not clench your fingers into a fist.

Philosophy gives readiness for any turn of fate.

· Voluptuousness is the occupation of people who are not busy with anything else.

· When asked where he came from, Diogenes said: "I am a citizen of the world."

· To be in a good mood - to cause torment to your envious people.

If you give to others, give to me, if not, then start with me.

· In order to live properly, one must have either reason or a noose.

· Seeing the gossiping women, Diogenes said: "One viper borrows poison from another."

· The slanderer is the most fierce of wild animals; the flatterer is the most dangerous of tame animals.

Treat nobles like fire; don't stand too close or too far away from them.

· When asked at what age one should marry, Diogenes replied: "It's too early for the young, it's too late for the old."

· Poverty itself paves the way to philosophy; what philosophy tries to convince in words, poverty forces to carry out in practice.

· When the philosopher Diogenes needed money, he did not say that he would borrow it from friends; he said that he would ask his friends to return the debt to him.

· To a man who asked what time you should have breakfast, Diogenes replied: “If you are rich, then when you want, if you are poor, then when you can.

Philosophy and medicine have made man the most intelligent of animals; divination and astrology are the most insane; superstition and despotism are the most unfortunate.

The essence of philosophy: Supporters of this philosophy believed that the gods gave people everything they needed, providing them with an easy and happy life, but people have lost their measure of needs and in pursuit of them they gain only misfortunes. Wealth, which people strive for, is regarded by the Cynics as the source of human misfortunes, it is also regarded as the source of tyranny. They believed that wealth could be achieved only at the cost of moral degradation, through deceit, violence, robbery, and non-equivalent trade. Proclaiming that labor is a blessing, they limited, in accordance with the individualistic attitudes of their time, the size of labor efforts only to the achievement of a minimum of material means of maintaining personal life.

The socio-economic views of the Cynics reflected the protest of the destitute mass of the free population in response to oppression, excessive taxes, injustice of the authorities, greedy predatory and squandering of those who made huge fortunes and lived idly in luxury. Cynics, in contrast to this, put forward a disdain for the blessings of life, a contemptuous attitude towards property and owners, a negative attitude towards the state and social institutions, a disdainful attitude towards science.

Conclusion

In the calls of the Cynics for liberation from wealth and vices, in the struggle against the pursuit of material well-being, in the craving for moral perfection, the voices of the future are heard, glorifying the highest beauty of human deeds, the victory of the spiritual principle, revealing equal opportunities for all. The school of cynics (cynics) proceeded from the fact that every person is self-sufficient, that is, he has everything necessary for spiritual life in himself. However, not every person is able to understand himself, come to himself and be content with what he has in himself. A prominent representative of the Cynic school is Diogenes of Sinop (400-325 BC).

The path of moral development and training of Cynics consisted of three stages: philosophical cynic diogenes behavior

Asceticism - the rejection of the comfort and benefits that society gives;

Apadeikia - ignoring the knowledge accumulated by society;

Autarky - ignoring public opinion: praise, censure, ridicule, insults.

In fact, the cynics demonstrated not so much self-sufficiency as a negative reaction towards society. Naturally, such an understanding of ethical norms could not gain much popularity. More common was the approach of Epicurus (341-270 BC).

List of sources used

1. http://studentforever.ru/stati/16-filosofia/47-filosofija-kinikov-i-stoikov.html

2. http://psychistory.ru/antichnost/ellinizm/16-shkola-kinikov.html

3. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

4. http://citaty.info/man/diogen-sinopskii

5. http://ru.wikiquote.org/wiki

Hosted on Allbest.ru

...

life arrangement

The ancient Greek thinker comes from Sinop. To become a philosopher, a man went to Athens. There the thinker met Antisthenes and asked to become his student. The master wanted to drive the poor fellow out with a stick, but the young man crouched down and said: "There is no such stick with which you could drive me away." Antisthenes resigned himself.

Many sages led an ascetic life, but Diogenes surpassed the teachers and all other learned hermits.

The man equipped a dwelling for himself in the city square, completely abandoned household utensils, leaving himself only a ladle for drinking. One day the sage saw a boy quench his thirst with the help of his palms. Then he got rid of the bucket, left his shack, went wherever his eyes looked. Trees, gateways, an empty barrel covered with grass served as a shelter for him.

Diogenes practically did not wear clothes, frightening the townspeople with nudity. In winter, he was engaged in wiping, hardening, he didn’t hide under the covers, he simply wasn’t there. People considered the eccentric a beggar, without a family without a tribe. But the thinker deliberately led such a mode of existence. He believed that everything that a person needs is given to him by nature, excesses only interfere with life, lull the mind. The philosopher actively participated in the life of the Athenians. Being known as a debater, the man started talking about politics, social changes, and criticized famous citizens. He has never been put behind bars because of sweeping statements. The ability to get out of difficult situations by forcing people to think was the talent of a sage.

Philosophizing and rejection of the material

Cynic philosophy reflects true judgments Diogenes on the structure of society. The shocking, anti-social behavior forced the rest to think about real values - why a person renounces the benefits in favor of self-restraint.

Compatriots respected the thinker, despite his impudence, they came to him for advice, considered him a sage, even loved him. Once a little hooligan broke a barrel of Diogenes - the townspeople gave a new one.

The philosopher's view was aimed at achieving unity with nature by man, since man is a creation of nature, initially he is free, and material excesses contribute to the destruction of the individual.

Once a thinker walking along the shopping malls was asked: “You refuse material goods. Then why are you here?" To which he replied that he wanted to see objects that neither he nor humanity needed.

The philosopher often walked during the day with a lit "lamp", explaining his actions by searching honest people which even by the light of the sun and fire cannot be found.

Sitting in a barrel, the sage approached the mighty of this world. Having become closely acquainted with the thinker, Macedonsky said: "If I had not been a king, I would have become Diogenes." He consulted with the sage about the need for a trip to India. The philosopher was critical of the plan of the ruler, predicted infection with a fever, and in a friendly way advised the commander to become his neighbor in the barrel. Macedonian refused, went to India and died there of a fever.

Diogenes advocated freedom from temptation. He believed that marriages between people are an unnecessary relic, children and women should be common. He ridiculed religion, faith as such. He saw kindness as a true value, but stated that people have forgotten how to show it, and they treat their shortcomings condescendingly.

Philosopher's life path

The biography of the thinker begins in 412 BC, when he was born in the city of Sinop in a noble family. In his youth, the Sinop thinker wanted to re-mint coins with his father, for which he was expelled from his native city. His wanderings brought him to Athens, where he became the successor of Antisthenes.

A strange philosopher lives in the capital, preaching the main principle of ancient philosophy - the distinction between the essence of things and familiar images. Its goal is to destroy the generally accepted concepts of good and evil. The philosopher surpasses the teacher in popularity, the severity of the way of life. He contrasts the voluntary renunciation of material wealth with the vanity, ignorance, and greed of the Athenians.

The biography of the thinker tells how he lived in a barrel. But the fact is that in ancient Greece there were no barrels. The Thinker lived in a pithos, a large ceramic vessel, laid it on its side and calmly took a night's rest. During the day he was a vagrant. In ancient times, there were public baths, where a man followed hygiene.

338 BC was marked by the Chaeronean battle between Macedonia, Athens and Thebes. Despite the fact that the enemy armies were equally strong, Alexander the Great and Philip II crushed the Greeks. Diogenes, like many other Athenians, was captured by the Macedonians. The sage ended up in a slave market, where Xeniad bought him as a slave.

The philosopher died in 323 BC. e. What was his death - it remains to be thought out. There are several versions - raw octopus poisoning, the bite of a rabid dog, the unfinished practice of holding your breath. The philosopher treated death with humor, and the treatment of the dead after it. One day he was asked: "In what way would you like to be buried?" The Thinker suggested: "Throw me out of the city, wild animals will do their job." "Won't you be scared?" the curious did not let up. "Then give me a club," continued the philosopher. Onlookers wondered how he would use a weapon in a dead state. Diogenes ironically: "Then why should I be afraid if I'm already dead."

A monument was erected on the grave of the thinker in the form of a stray dog lying down to rest.

Discussions with Plato

Not all contemporaries treated him with sympathy. Plato considered him insane. This opinion was based on the way of life of the Sinop thinker, to a lesser extent on his philosophical ideas. Plato reproached the opponent for shamelessness, depravity, uncleanliness, disgust. The truth was in his words: Diogenes, as a representative of a cynical person, wandered, relieved himself in front of the townspeople, publicly engaged in masturbation, violated the laws of morality in various ways. Plato believed that there should be a measure in everything, you should not stick out such an impartial spectacle for the show.

Concerning science, two philosophers entered into an argument. Plato spoke of man as an animal without feathers on two legs. Diogenes came up with the idea of plucking a rooster and presenting the observers with a "new individual according to Plato." The enemy retorted: “Then, according to Diogenes, a person is a mixture of a madman who has escaped from a mental hospital, and a scantily clad tramp running after the royal retinue.”

Slavery as power

When the thinker ended up in the slave market after the Battle of Chaeronea, he was asked what talents he had. Diogenes said: "I am the best at ruling people."

The sage was enslaved by Xeniad and became a teacher for his two sons. Diogenes taught the boys to ride horses and throw darts. He taught the children the doctrine of history, Greek poetry. Once he was asked: “Why don’t you, being a slave, wash your own apples?”, The answer struck me: “If I washed my own apples, I would not be a slave.”

Asceticism as a way of life

Diogenes is an extraordinary philosopher whose ideal way of life was asceticism. The thinker considered it as complete, unlimited freedom, independence from imposed restrictions. He watched how the mouse almost without needing, lives in its hole, is content with nothing. Following her example, the sage also sat in pithos and became happy.

When compatriots were preparing for war, he simply rolled his barrel. To the question: “What are you doing on the verge of war?” Diogenes replied: "I also want to do something, since I have nothing else - I roll the barrel."

He was smart and sharp-tongued, subtly noticed all the shortcomings of the individual and society. Diogenes of Sinop, whose works have come down to us only in the form of retellings of later authors, is considered a mystery. He is both a seeker of truth and a sage to whom it was revealed, a skeptic and a critic, a unifying link. In a word, a Man with a capital letter, from whom you can learn a lot from modern people who are accustomed to the benefits of civilization and technology.

Diogenes of Sinop and his way of life

Many people remember from school that Diogenes was the name of a man who lived in a barrel in the middle of an Athenian square. A philosopher and an eccentric, he, nevertheless, glorified his name through the centuries thanks to his own teachings, later called cosmopolitan. He severely criticized Plato, pointing out to this ancient Greek scientist the shortcomings of his philosophy. He despised fame and luxury, laughed at those who sing of the mighty of the world in order to be held in high esteem. He preferred to lead the house as an earthen barrel, which could often be seen in the agora. Diogenes of Sinop traveled a lot in Greek policies, and considered himself a citizen of the whole world, that is, space.

path to truth

Diogenes, whose philosophy may seem contradictory and strange (and all because of the fact that his works did not reach us in their original form), was a student of Antisthenes. History says that the teacher at first strongly disliked the young man who was looking for the truth. All because he was the son of a money changer, who not only was in prison (for transactions with money), but also had a not the best reputation. The respectful Antisthenes tried to drive the new student away, and even beat him with a stick, but Diogenes did not budge. He craved knowledge, and Antisthenes had to reveal it to him. Diogenes of Sinop considered his credo that he should continue the work of his father, but on a different scale. If his dad spoiled the coin in the literal sense, then the philosopher decided to spoil all the established stamps, destroy traditions and prejudices. He wanted, as it were, to erase from those false values that were implanted by him. Honor, glory, wealth - he considered all this to be a false inscription on coins made of base metal.

Global Citizen and Friend of Dogs

The philosophy of Diogenes of Sinop is special and brilliant in its simplicity. Despising all material goods and values as such, he settled in a barrel. True, some researchers believe that it was not quite an ordinary barrel in which water or wine was stored. Most likely, it was a large jug, which had a ritual significance: they were used for burial. The philosopher ridiculed the established norms of clothing, rules of conduct, religion, and the way of life of the townspeople. He lived like a dog - on alms, and often called himself a four-legged animal. For this he was called a cynic (from the Greek word for dog). His life is entangled not only with many secrets, but also with comical situations, he is the hero of many jokes.

Common features with other teachings

The whole essence of the teachings of Diogenes can fit into one sentence: live contentedly with what you have, and be grateful for it. Diogenes of Sinop negatively treated art as a manifestation of unnecessary benefits. After all, a person should not study ghostly matters (music, painting, sculpture, poetry), but himself. Prometheus, who brought fire to people and taught how to create various necessary and unnecessary objects, was considered justly punished. After all, titanium helped man create complexity and artificiality in modern life, without which life would be much easier. In this, the philosophy of Diogenes is similar to Taoism, the teachings of Rousseau and Tolstoy, but is more stable in views.

Fearless to the point of recklessness, he calmly asked (who conquered his country and came to meet the famous eccentric) to move away and not block the sun for him. The teachings of Diogenes help to get rid of fear and all who study his works. After all, on the path of striving for virtue, he got rid of worthless earthly goods, acquired moral freedom. In particular, it was this thesis that was accepted by the Stoics, who developed it into a separate concept. But the Stoics themselves failed to give up all the advantages of a civilized society.

Like his contemporary Aristotle, Diogenes was cheerful. He did not preach a departure from life, but only called for detachment from external, fragile goods, thereby laying the foundations of optimism and a positive outlook on all occasions in life. Being a very energetic person, the philosopher from the barrel was the exact opposite of the boring and respectable sages with their teachings intended for weary people.

The Significance of the Philosophy of the Sage of Sinop

A lit lantern (or a torch, according to other sources), with which he searched for a person during the day, even in ancient times became an example of contempt for the norms of society. This particular outlook on life and values attracted other people who became followers of the madman. And the teaching of the Cynics itself was recognized as the shortest road to virtue.