Diogenes

Diogenes

Diogenes was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. He modelled himself on the example of Heracles, and believed that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. Became notorious for his philosophical stunts, such as carrying a lamp during the day, claiming to be looking for a man.

About Diogenes in brief

Summary DiogenesDiogenes was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea coast of modern day Turkey, in 412 or 404 BC. His father minted coins for a living, and he was banished from Sinope when he took to debasement of currency. After being exiled, he moved to Athens and criticized many cultural conventions of the city. He modelled himself on the example of Heracles, and believed that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. Diogenes made a virtue of poverty and often slept in a large ceramic jar, or pithos, in the marketplace. He became notorious for his philosophical stunts, such as carrying a lamp during the day, claiming to be looking for a man. He criticized Plato, disputed his interpretation of Socrates, and sabotaged his lectures, sometimes distracting listeners by bringing food and eating during the discussions. He passed his philosophy of Cynicism to Crates, who taught it to Zeno of Citium, who fashioned it into the school of Stoicism. He also mocked Alexander the Great, both in public and to his face when he visited Corinth in 336 BC. He declared himself a cosmopolitan and a citizen of the world rather than claiming allegiance to just one place. He mocked the figure of a master who could do nothing for himself, and found himself teaching the ascetic Antisthenes, a student of Socrates. He reportedly beat him off with his staff, despite the brutality with which he was taught.

He died at Corinth in 323 BC and is buried in the Acropolis in Athens. He is the subject of the film The Cynic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Helen of Troy, directed by Ridley Scott and directed by Terence Moore. The film is based on a play by the same name by the Greek playwright, who was also the author of the play, The Thief and the Thief, which was set in Greece in the 4th century BC. The play is set in the city of Athens and is directed by the playwright’s son, Theophilus. The movie is set to be released in the fall of 4th Century BC, with a release date to be announced in the spring of the following year. It is expected to be the first of a series of films based on the life and times of Diogene. The first of these films will be based on The Thief, a play about the life of Leonardo diCaprio. The second will be set in Athens in the autumn of the same year, and the third in the summer of the next year. The third film will be directed by The Gladiator, who is also based in the same city, and will be released by the University of Athens. The fourth film is The Republic, about Plato and Socrates, in which the two philosophers debate the nature of evil and the meaning of good. The fifth film is about Socrates and the philosophy of the Stoic school of philosophy. The sixth film, The Republic of the Republic, is about the Stoicism of Zeno.