Diogenes of Synope was a prominent Greek philosopher of antiquity belonging to the philosophical current of Cynicism.
Biography of Diogenes
Born in 413 BC in the city of Synope (present-day Turkey), Diogenes was the son of a coin maker.
A fact of forging coins led to his father’s arrest and Diogenes’ exile. For this reason, he lived a large part of his life in Athens.
He was a great scholar, however, he preferred to move away from material goods in order to reach fullness through knowledge.
In such a way, he had a radical and anti-materialist stance, moving away from material goods and luxury, which, according to him, blinded the human being.
The great question posed by the philosopher was that each human being should deepen his knowledge of himself.
So he spent a long time wandering the streets of Athens and living in a barrel with the minimum he needed to survive.
One of his phrases while walking the streets was ” I am looking for a man “. His words were related to the search for someone who could live without the luxury of society.
Some began to call him “ Diogenes, the dog ” since he lived his life as simply as possible, like a stray dog.
On the other hand, this nickname may have been related to the School of Cynicism , since the term is derived from the word “dog” ( Kynos ).
From these experiences, it was considered the symbol of simplicity, being admired by many.
He reached philosophical reflections on nature and the human being, being part of the philosophical current called “Cynicism”.
An interesting episode of his life was the meeting with Alexander the Great , who heard rumors of his wisdom.
Alexander went to Diogenes and asked what he wanted. Without hesitating, Diogenes replied, ” Lord, just don’t take from me what you can’t give me .”
In another version he would have replied ” Yes, you can get out of my sun “. Impressed by the philosopher’s contempt, the conqueror commented: ” If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes “.
The philosopher wrote a work entitled “ The Republic ” in which he criticizes the values of Greek society. He died in 327 BC, in the Greek city of Corinth. The following sentence was written on his headstone:
“Bronze itself ages with time, but your glory, Diogenes, will not destroy all eternity; because only you taught mortals the lesson of self-reliance in life and the easiest way to live ”
Cynicism
Diogenes represented one of the most important figures in the philosophical current of Cynicism . The Cynics were simple, nomadic men, with no family and no homeland.
Its teacher and founder of the School of Cynicism was the philosopher Antístenes. With him he developed several theories about the world.
Contrary to the current of hedonism and epicurism , in which the pursuit of pleasure was the most important, for cynics, pleasure drives man to alienation.
In this way, the human being becomes a slave to himself, removing him from his real freedom, since they become slaves to his actions.
In short, these philosophers believed that happiness could not be found by the superfluous things that filled life, but by self-knowledge.
Phrases
Check below some phrases that translate Diogenes’ thinking:
- ” Only those who are always ready to die are truly free .”
- “ Wisdom is a brake on youth, a consolation on old age, a wealth for the poor and an ornament for the rich .”
- “When is the best time for dinner? ‘If someone is rich, when he wants, if he is poor, when he can’ . ”
- “ The big ones are like fire, which we shouldn’t get too close to or go too far . “
- “ What is a philosopher for, if not to hurt someone’s feelings? “