Cynicism

The cynicism was a philosophical school of the ancient Greece, founded by Antisthène, and known mainly for the escapades of its most famous disciple, Diogène de Sinope. This school tries an inversion of the values, and teaches ease and humility with large and powerful of ancient Greece. Radically anticonformist, the Cynical ones, and at their Diogène head, propose another vision of philosophy and the life in general, subversive and jubilatoire.

By a strange derivation of the term, one speaks nowadays about cynicism to indicate a way of thinking which differs so much from the established standards (in particular in the field of morals) that it becomes about it shocking. One can attach to this cynicism a kind of black Humor (sometimes involuntary), corrosive and ironic, often employed to express a certain rebellion vis-a-vis an incomprehensible world - with the difference of the Sarcasme, which seeks only one show of force for its part. Beyond this indifference with morals and suitabilities, the " cynique" modern does not have great any more a deal to see with the ancient philosophers in question here.

History

The term “cynicism” comes from the old Greek κύων/ kuôn , which means “Chien”, in reference to the attitude of Antisthène, the inspirer of cynicism, then of that of Diogène de Sinope, which one can regard as being first the true cynical one and who wished to be buried “like a dog”. According to other sources, the name would come from the gymnasium in which Antisthène taught, the Cynosarge (literally “nimble dog”). The metaphors around the dog then abounded, so that it is difficult to isolate the exact historical origin from it. Most significant is that presenting the animal like model.

Plato defined Diogène de Sinope as a Socrate become insane of which the goal is to subvert all Conformisme, all moral model. Its philosophy results in voluntary and provocative acts. It transgresses the bases of the Culture, urine and barks like a dog, masturbates in public; he does not hesitate to beg, does not respect any opinion and causes even the powerful ones. The cynical movement, registered voter in the ancient company, arises before just like a model protestor.

The hero and model of the cynical philosophers are Héraclès (Hercules as a Roman), because it is a hero who does not let himself influence by anybody, is free and does not have particular attachment. Cynicism thus uses many images and models, with an aim of touching all the classes of the population, without focusing itself on the intellectual elites.

This philosophical, little appreciated tradition scholastic, academic and modern school because too different from the models " habituels" of wisdom is especially known, via Diogène Laërce, for small the instructive anecdotes telling the manner of philosophizing of Diogène de Synope, for example. Plato having defines the Man as a " biped without plumes" , Diogène visited one day one of the banquets of Wise, holding at the end of one leaves… a plucked cock! “Here the Man of Plato”, declared it crânement with the assistance. Far from being encumbered theoretical speeches as abstract as pedants, Diogène and its disciples practiced a philosophy concretes , particularly paradoxical Platonic idealism, considered to be useless and well too far from the material Truth of the world to be taken with the serious one.

The cynical school was long-lived during all the Antiquité, of the Greece until the Rome. It influenced considerably the morals Stoïcien which developed with its continuation the concepts of life according to nature, of the independence of the Sage and of Cosmopolitisme. Zénon de Citium, founder of stoicism, indeed was disciple of cynical the Cratès.

Main themes

Self-sufficiency

In the center of cynical philosophy the idea of self-sufficiency is. The wise one is that which is able to be satisfied with the minimum, so as to suffer from no lack and easily being able to face the most difficult situations.

The wise cynical one thus chooses to live in the continence. He does not seek any richness, he does not have a house, he is satisfied with the simplest foods and refuses all that vitally does not seem necessary to him.

He thus avoids simple double sack and of a single coat for the winter and the summer. He sleeps in the temples. He begs his pitence.

The shortest way towards the virtue

Vis-a-vis the philosophical schools exempting a long and technical training, cynicism is presented in the form of a the shortest way towards the virtue . For the cynical ones, the simple fact of living most simply possible is enough to become wise. There is not to know technical additional necessary.

The philosophers of the cynical school will always refuse with the great speeches, preferring the sibylline and ironic maxims , the effectiveness of the daily newspaper, the proof by the fact and not by the word. In other words, the ethical truth, shown by the theoretical experiment and not truths resulting from complex systems.

Cynical philosophy has as an ultimate goal the Sagesse, an ethical of life. According to Antisthène, no speech is worth, no study nor to know. Only wisdom and the Vertu, double finality of cynical philosophy count. Once this virtue reached, the philosopher can be regarded as free, because alive in the atuphia , the “absence of vanity”.

Nature, universality and Cosmopolitanism

The model of cynicism is the animal. The company is perceived like corrupting and changing, where nature is virtuous and universal. Diogene asserts cosmopolitain thus, i.e. citizen of the world. Its concern is to live according to universal rules of virtue.

The weapons of cynical are the transgression, the Ironie and the daily newspaper in a more general way. By transgressing all the prohibited , the cynical one wants to show that none the social rules is essential, and that only counts natural ethics, universal: the virtue.

The cynical school thus preaches the virtue and wisdom, qualities which one can reach only by the Liberté. This freedom, stage necessary to a virtuous state and not finality in oneself, want to be radical vis-a-vis commonly allowed conventions, in a constant worry to approach the Nature.

List the cynical ones

This list draws up by alphabetical chronological order then the names of the cynical philosophers of the Antiquity “whose historical existence is attested”, according to the MO Narrow part-Cazé work, the Cynical Asceticism . Nevertheless, all did not have the same importance, some being known only because they are quoted in fragments or because they left their name on a tomb.

5th century before J. - C.

Antisthène (445-360)

4th century before J. - C.

• Anaximène de Lampsaque, 4th century before J. - C.

• Androsthène d' Egine, 4th century before J. - C.
• Bion de Borysthène (335-245),
• Cléanthe d' Assos, (331-231),
• Cléomène, 3rd century before J. - C
• Cratès de Thèbes (360-280)
• Diogène de Sinope, (…, - 323)
• Echéclès d' Ephèses, 3rd century before J. - C
• Hégésias de Sinope, contemporary of Diogène
• Hipparchia (… - 336)
• Ménandre, contemporary of Diogène
• Monime of Syracuse, 4th century before J. - C
• Onésicrite d' Astypalée (377-302)
• Onésicrite d' Egine, 4th century before J.C
• Pasiclès de Thébès, brother of Cratès, Master of Stiplon
• Philiscos d' Egine, 4th century before J. - C.
• Phocion, 4th century before J. - C.
• Stilpon de Mégare, (360-280),
• Théombrote, IVe-3rd century before J. - C.
• Thrasylle, 4th century before J. - C.
• Xéniade de Corinthe, 4th century before J. - C.
• Zénon de Citium, (335-263),

3rd century before J. - C.

• Démétrius of Alexandria (300 before J. - C.)

• Bétion, 3rd century before J. - C.
• Cercidas de Mégalopolis (290-217)
• Ménédème de Lampsaque, 3rd century before J. - C.
• Métroclès de Maronée, 3rd century before J. - C.
• Sotade de Maronée, 3rd century before J. - C.,
• TVS, middle of the 3rd century before J. - C.

First century before J. - C.

• Varron Marcus Terentius (116-27)

• Avidénius, before J. - C.
• Favonius, before J. - C.
• Méléagre de Gardara, (135-50)

First century after J. - C.

• Carnéade, after J. - C.

• Démétrius de Corinthe, after J. - C., friend of Sénèque
• Didyme, after J. - C.
• Diogène the sophist, after J. - C.
• Dion de Chrysostome (40-112)
• Héras, contemporrain of Titus and Bérénice
• Hermodote, after J. - C.
• Isidore, after J. - C.
• Ménestratos, after J. - C.
• Ménippe de Lycie, after J. - C.
• Musonius Rufus, after J. - C.,

2nd century after J. - C.

• Agathobule, 2nd century after J.C

• Cantharus, 2nd century after J.C
• Crescens, 2nd century after J. - C.
• Démétrius de Soumion, 2nd century after J. - C
• Démonax of Cyprus (70-170)
• Honoratus, 2nd century after J. - C.
• Oenomaos de Gardara, 2nd century after J. - C.
• Pérégrinus, (100-165)
• Sécundus silent the, beginning of the 2nd century after Jesus.

3rd century after J.C.

• Antiochus de Cilicie, 215 after J.C

• Ménippe de Gardara, first half of the 3rd century after J. - C.
• Timarque of Alexandria, second half of the 3rd century after J. - C.

4th century after J.C.

• Asclépiade, contemporary of the emperor Julien, second half of the 4th century after J.C

• Bésas, 4th century after J.C
• Chytron, contemporary of the Julien emperor, second half of the 4th century after J. - C.
• Cléomène of Constantinople, 4th century after J. - C.,
• Héracléios, contemporary of Julien
• Horus, 4th century after J. - C.
• Iphiclès d' Epire, contemporary of the emperor Julien
• Maxime Héron of Alexandria, 4th century after J. -C.
• Sérénianus, contemporary of the emperor Julien

5th century after J. - C.

• Saloustios, 5th century after J.C

unknown or dubious Period

• Dioclès, taggué fall it from Ramsès VI

• Domitius, signed a royal cemetery