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Diogenes of Sinope is a shocking ancient Greek philosopher. Diogenes of Sinope - philosopher living in a barrel Diogenes main ideas

“MY HOUSE IS MY BARREL” (DIOGENES OF SINOPE)

Diogenes of Sinope - ancient Greek Cynic philosopher, student of Antisthenes. Lived and worked around 400-325 BC. e. He was a very extraordinary person, and during his lifetime he became the hero of numerous tales and anecdotes. His father was a government money changer, and Diogenes sometimes worked with his father. But they were soon expelled for deceiving and robbing the people.

Having settled in Athens, he became a student of Antisthenes, who, according to legend, first drove Diogenes away with a stick, but then still accepted him, seeing in the young man a deep desire to know life as it really is. Since then, he began to lead a very peculiar lifestyle.

Diogenes lived an interesting and unusual life, dying at a very old age. There are many legends not only about his life, but also about his death. Some say that he ate raw octopus and fell ill with cholera, others say that he died of old age, deliberately holding his breath. Still others say that Diogenes wanted to divide the octopus among stray dogs, but they were so hungry that they bit him, and from this he died.

Dying, Diogenes gave the order not to bury his body, but to throw it so that it could become the prey of animals, or throw it into a ditch. But, of course, the grateful disciples did not dare to leave the mortal remains without burial - and buried Diogenes near the gate leading to Isthmus. A pillar was placed on his grave, and on the pillar was an image of a dog and a huge number of copper tablets, on which words of gratitude and regret about his death were carved. It may seem strange that a stone dog was placed on the grave. The fact is that during his lifetime Diogenes called himself a dog (the philosopher considered himself a Cynic, and “kinos” is translated from ancient Greek as “dog”), citing the fact that he would lick the feet of good people who gave him a piece of bread, and evil ones - bite mercilessly.

Diogenes composed many works, including “The Athenian People”, “The State”, “The Science of Morals”, “On Wealth”, “On Love”, “Aristarchus”, “On Death” and others. In addition, he wrote such tragedies as “Helen”, “Thyestes”, “Hercules”, “Achilles”, “Oedipus”, “Medea” and others.

As mentioned earlier, Diogenes of Sinope had an extraordinary mind and practiced extreme asceticism, sometimes bordering on eccentric foolishness. He preached a healthy lifestyle. The simpler and poorer a person lived, refusing many of the benefits of civilization, the higher and more spiritual he looked in the eyes of Diogenes. He called himself a citizen of the world and, according to ancient legend, lived in an ordinary clay barrel at the temple of the Mother of the Gods, deliberately depriving himself of numerous benefits.

Diogenes understood how to live when he accidentally turned his gaze to a mouse running past. She was free, did not need bedding, was not afraid of the dark, was content with simple food, which she obtained through labor and care, and did not strive to receive any pleasures, which Diogenes considered superficial and imaginary, only hiding the real essence.

In his so-called home - in a barrel - Diogenes slept, putting a cloak folded in half under him, which he then put on and wore. He always had a bag with him in which he kept simple food. If he sometimes did not have to spend the night in a barrel, then any other place, be it a square or bare damp earth, was equally suitable for Diogenes for eating, sleeping, and for long conversations with casual listeners.

Diogenes called on everyone to harden their bodies, but he did not limit himself to just one call, but showed by his own example how to harden. In the summer, he took off his clothes and lay for a long time on the hot sand, and in the winter, he jogged barefoot on the cold ground and hugged snow-covered statues.

Diogenes treated all people without exception with contemptuous ridicule - and said that sometimes it seemed to him that man was the most intelligent creature on earth. But when on his way he met people who boasted of wealth or fame, or who deceived the common people for their own benefit, then people seemed to him much more stupid than the rest of God’s creatures. He argued: in order to live properly, you must at least have reason.

Diogenes by nature was a kind of cynic (it’s easy to guess that “cynic” is a corruption of “cynic” by the Romans), not sparing himself or anyone else. He said that people are inherently evil and insidious - and at any opportunity they strive to push those walking next to them into a ditch, and the further, the better. But none of them even makes attempts to become kinder and better. He was surprised that people look into the distance, not noticing simple and everyday things that happen very close. He was irritated by the fact that they prayed to God for good health, while at the same time engaging in gluttony at numerous feasts.

The philosopher taught that people, if possible, take care of themselves, eat simple food and drink clean water, cut their hair short, do not wear jewelry or frilly clothes, walk barefoot as often as possible and remain silent as much as possible, with their eyes downcast. He considered people with eloquence to be empty talkers with a limited worldview.

Being a deeply religious man, Diogenes believed that everything that happens on earth is in the power of the gods. He considered the sages to be chosen people close to the gods, their close friends, and since friends have everything in common, then absolutely everything in the world belongs to the sages. He was sure that fate could be outsmarted if one showed courage and courage in time. He opposed nature to the law, and reason to human passions.

To those who were afraid of bad dreams, Diogenes said that it would be better for them to worry about what they do during the day, and not about the stupid thoughts that come to mind at night. But no matter how cynically he treated people in general and himself in particular, the Athenians loved and revered Diogenes. And when one day a poor boy accidentally broke his house - a barrel, this boy was subjected to severe punishment, and Diogenes was given a new barrel.

He often announced publicly that initially the gods gave people an easy and happy life, but they themselves spoiled and darkened it, gradually inventing various benefits for themselves. He considered greed to be the cause of all troubles - and he called old age, which overtakes a person in poverty, the most sorrowful thing in life. Diogenes called such a wonderful feeling as love the work of idle people, and noble and good-natured people as likenesses of gods. He considered human life to be evil, but not all life, only bad life.

He ridiculed fame, wealth and noble origin, calling all this the embellishments of vice. And the whole world considered it the only true state. Diogenes said that wives should be common and, therefore, sons should also be common. Denied legal marriage. He argued that everything exists in everything and through everything, that is, bread contains meat, vegetables contain bread; and in general, all bodies penetrate each other with the smallest particles through invisible pores.

Diogenes had many students and listeners, despite the fact that he was at least reputed to be an unusual and extraordinary person. They continued his work, thereby ensuring the development of the idea of asceticism in philosophy.

* * *
One day, the famous commander Alexander the Great was passing through Athens and stopped to look at a local landmark - the philosopher Diogenes. Alexander approached the barrel in which the thinker lived and offered to do something for him. Diogenes replied: “Don’t block the sun for me!”

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Diogenes of Sinope is rightfully considered the brightest representative of the Cynic school. His life gave a powerful impetus not only to the society around him, but also to all philosophy in...

From Masterweb

24.05.2018 22:00

The Cynics preach a natural and close to nature life. Moreover, nature is understood more as human instincts, rather than the earth’s flora and fauna. Antisthenes founded the first school of Cynics in Ancient Greece. However, his student, Diogenes of Sinope, received the greatest fame. It was he who brought to life the image of a true Cynic sage.

Life "before" philosophy

Diogenes was born in the city of Sinope. His father worked as a moneylender and the family's life was comfortable. However, after they were caught minting counterfeit money, they were expelled from the city. Hoping to rethink the values of his own life, Diogenes went to Athens. There he realized his calling in philosophy.

The biography of Diogenes of Sinope, especially the early one, cannot be completely reliably interpreted. Very little is known about his life, and the only source of information is the records of his namesake, Diogenes Laertius.

Diogenes - student

Diogenes of Sinope firmly decided to join the founder of the Cynic school - Antisthenes. The teacher, in turn, did not need students and refused to teach. In addition, he was embarrassed by the young man’s dubious reputation. But Diogenes could not have become the greatest Cynic if he had given up so easily.

He didn’t have money for housing, so he dug a pithos - a large clay barrel - into the ground and began to live inside. Day after day, he continued to ask the elderly philosopher for training, absolutely not accepting refusal. Neither blows with a stick nor rough persecution could drive him away. He thirsted for wisdom and saw its source in the person of Antisthenes. Ultimately, the master gave up and took on the persistent student.

Diogenes - Cynic

The basis of the philosophy of Diogenes of Sinope is asceticism. He deliberately refused any benefits of civilization, continuing to live in pithos and beg for alms. They rejected any conventions, be they religious, social or political. He did not recognize the state and religion, preaching a natural life, filled with imitation of nature.

Lying near the pithos, he read sermons to the townspeople. He assured that only a renunciation of the benefits of civilization can free a person from fear. It is necessary to discard conventions and prejudices in order to leave the position of being led. Living like a dog lives - freely and naturally - is a direct path to liberation and happiness.

You see before you a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world. I fight against pleasures. I am the liberator of humanity and the enemy of passions, I want to be a prophet of truth and freedom of speech.

Diogenes said that every person has at his disposal everything he needs for a happy life. However, instead of taking advantage of this, people dream of illusory wealth and ephemeral pleasures. By the way, science and art, according to Diogenes, are more than useless. Why spend your life knowing them when you only need to know yourself?

Diogenes, however, revered the practical and moral sides of philosophy. He argued that it is the moral compass of people. The famous statement of Diogenes of Sinope, addressed to a certain person who denied the importance of philosophy:

Why do you live if you don’t care to live well?

Diogenes strove for virtue all his life. He did this in unusual ways, but his goal was always noble. And even if his ideas did not always find suitable minds, the fact that we are reading about him now, after so many years, speaks volumes.

Diogenes vs Plato

It is a widely known fact about the eternal disputes between Diogenes and Plato. The two irreconcilable philosophers did not miss the opportunity to notice the mistakes of the other. Diogenes saw in Plato only a “chatterbox.” Plato, in turn, called Diogenes "the mad Socrates."

Reasoning about concepts and properties, Plato came to the conclusion that each object has its own properties. This theory was happily countered by Diogenes: “I see the table and the bowl, but I do not see the cup and the size.” To this Plato replied: “To see the table and the cup, you have eyes, but to see the table and the cup, you have no mind.”

Diogenes's most brilliant moment is his disagreement with Plato's theory that man is a bird without feathers. During one of Plato’s lectures, Diogenes burst into the hall and threw a plucked rooster at the feet of the audience, exclaiming: “Look, here he is - Plato’s man!”

Relations between them were generally tense. Diogenes openly showed his disdain for Plato's idealism and the very personality of the philosopher. He considered him an empty talker and despised him for his groveling. Plato, keeping up with his opponent, called Diogenes a dog and complained about his lack of reason.

Diogenes - the "rock star" of antiquity

What Diogenes was good at besides philosophy was extravagant antics. With his behavior, he clearly drew a line between him and other people. He subjected himself to severe training, tormented his body with tests. His goal was not only physical discomfort, but also moral humiliation. It was for this purpose that he asked for alms from the statues, in order to accustom himself to refusal. One of the famous quotes from Diogenes of Sinope reads:

Philosophy gives you readiness for any turn of fate.

One day Diogenes began to call people, and when they came running to his call, he attacked them with a stick and shouted: “I called people, not scoundrels!” Another time he walked down the street during the day with a lit lantern and looked for a person. By this he wanted to show that the title “man” must be earned through good deeds, which means it is very difficult to find such a person.

The famous case of the meeting between Diogenes of Sinope and Alexander the Great is noteworthy. Alexander, having arrived in Athens, wished to meet the sage living in pithos, about whom the whole city was gossiping. As soon as the king approached Diogenes, he hastened to introduce himself: “I am Alexander the Great.” The sage replied: “And I am the dog Diogenes.” Alexander, admiring the Cynic, invited him to ask for whatever he wanted. Diogenes replied: “Do not block the sun for me.”

When the philosopher was thrown dice, citing the fact that he calls himself a dog, he simply urinated on them. When Diogenes masturbated in public, he was dissatisfied with the fact that hunger could not be satisfied simply by stroking the belly. One day, while giving a lecture in the square, he noticed that no one was paying attention to him. Then he squealed like a bird, and a whole crowd gathered around him. To this he said:

This, Athenians, is the price of your mind! When I told you smart things, no one paid attention to me, and when I chirped like an unreasonable bird, you listen to me with your mouth open.

Although his antics seem quite strange and repulsive, he did it with a purpose. He was confident that people could only be taught to appreciate what they had by example.

Slavery

Diogenes tried to leave Athens, not wanting to participate in hostilities; any manifestation of violence was alien to him. The philosopher failed: the ship was overtaken by pirates and Diogenes was captured. At the slave market he was sold to a certain Xeniadus.

While raising his master's children, Diogenes taught them modesty in eating and eating, handling darts and riding horses. In general, he turned out to be a very useful teacher and was not burdened by the position of a slave. On the contrary, he wanted to show that the Cynic philosopher, even being a slave, still remains freer than his master.

Death

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

Death overtook Diogenes in the same slavery. He, at his own request, was buried face down. On his monument was a marble figure of a dog, symbolizing the life of Diogenes.

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Essay

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

Diogenes of Sinope

Completed by a student

Usoyan S.F.

Yaroslavl

Introduction

1. Biography of Diogenes of Sinope

2. Philosophy of Diogenes of Sinope

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

Diogenes of Sinope (IV century BC) is considered the most brilliant Cynic philosopher. The name of this philosophical movement - Cynics, according to one version, arose from the name of the Athenian gymnasium Kinosargus ("sharp dog", "frisky dogs"), in which Socrates' student Antisthenes taught (V-IV centuries BC). 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 Sinope

Diogenes of Sinope (lived in the 4th century BC, a contemporary of Alexander the Great) is the most brilliant 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 Diogenes’ nicknames is “kinos” - dog). In fact, the name comes from the word “Kinosart” - a hill and gymnasium in Athens, where Antisthenes taught his students.

Diogenes was born in the city of Sinope, an Asia Minor city on the shores of the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea), but was expelled from his hometown for making counterfeit money. Since then, Diogenes wandered around the cities of Ancient Greece, and lived for the longest time 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: preaching the unlimited spiritual freedom of the individual; demonstrative disregard for all customs and generally accepted norms of life; renunciation of pleasures, 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, walked among the crowd with a lit lantern in broad daylight. The meaning of this act of the philosopher was that he demonstrated to people their incorrect understanding of the essence of the human personality.

Diogenes argued that a person always has at his disposal the means to be happy. However, most people live in illusions, understanding happiness as wealth, fame, and pleasure. He saw his task precisely as debunking these illusions. It is characteristic that 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 successors of the teachings of Socrates, developing to the limit his idea about the illusory nature of the ordinary human idea of happiness, good and evil. No wonder Plato called Diogenes “the maddened Socrates.”

True happiness, according to Diogenes, lies in the complete freedom of the individual. Only those who are free from most needs are free. Diogenes designated the means for achieving freedom with the concept of “ascesis” - effort, hard work. Asceticism is not just a philosophical concept. This is a way of life based on constant training of body and spirit in order to be prepared for all sorts of adversities in life; the ability to control one’s own desires; cultivating contempt for pleasure and pleasure.

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

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

Diogenes considered the ideal and goal of life to be the achievement of a state of “autarky” (self-sufficiency), when a person comprehends the vanity of the external 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 what you want,” Diogenes replied: “Do not block the sun from me.” This answer precisely contains the idea of autarky, for for Diogenes everything, including Alexander, is completely indifferent, except his own soul and his own ideas about happiness.

Already in ancient times, the teaching of the Cynics began to be called the shortest road to virtue. And on the grave of Diogenes a marble monument was erected in the shape of a dog with the inscription: “Even bronze wears out over time, but your glory, Diogenes, will never pass away, for only you were able to convince mortals that life in itself is sufficient, and show the simplest path life."

2. Philosophy of Diogenes of Sinope

The Cynics are one of the philosophical schools of Ancient Greece during the Socratic period. The most prominent representatives of the Cynic philosophical school were Antisthenes, Diogenes of Sinope, and 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 - without connection with society (begging, loneliness, vagrancy, etc.) - and testing this way of life on oneself.

Characteristics philosophy and lifestyle Cynics were:

o building freedom outside of society;

o voluntary rejection, severance of social ties, loneliness;

o lack of permanent residence, wandering;

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

o praise of physical and spiritual poverty;

o extreme asceticism;

o isolation;

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

o belligerence 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, willingness to live in any society not according to its own, but according to its own laws;

o had no family, ignored the state and laws, despised culture, morality, wealth;

o the concept of focusing on 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 had not found their place in the official system of social relations. In the modern era, the philosophy and lifestyle of yogis, hippies, etc. have great similarities with the philosophy and lifestyle of the Cynics.

Diogenes did not leave fundamental philosophical works, but 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: “Move away and do not block the sun for me!”;

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

o coined the concept of “citizen of the world (cosmopolitan);

o cruelly 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 Sinope

· Teaching an old man how 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 friends, do not clench your fingers into a fist.

· Philosophy gives you readiness for any turn of fate.

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

· When asked where he was from, Diogenes said: “I am a citizen of the world.”

· To be in a good mood is 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, you must have either a mind or a loop.

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

· A backbiter is the most fierce of wild beasts; The flatterer is the most dangerous of tame animals.

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

· When asked at what age one should get married, 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 us to implement in practice.

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

· To a man who asked what time he 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; fortune telling and astrology - the craziest; 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 lost the measure of their needs and in the pursuit of them they found only misfortune. The wealth that people strive for is regarded by the Cynics as a source of human misfortune, and it is also seen as a source of tyranny. They believed that wealth could only be achieved at the cost of moral degradation, through deception, violence, robbery, and unequal trade. Proclaiming that work is a good thing, 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 dispossessed masses of the free population in response to oppression, excessive taxes, injustice of the authorities, greedy predation and wastefulness of those who amassed enormous 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, chanting the highest beauty of human deeds, the victory of the spiritual principle, revealing equal opportunities for everyone. The school of Cynics (cynics) proceeded from the fact that each person is self-sufficient, that is, he has everything necessary for spiritual life within 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 Sinope (400-325 BC).

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

Asceticism is the refusal of comfort and benefits that society provides;

Apadeikia - ignoring the knowledge accumulated by society;

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

In fact, the Cynics demonstrated not so much self-sufficiency as a negative reaction towards society. Naturally, such an understanding of ethical standards could not gain much popularity. The more common approach was that 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

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Life arrangement

Ancient Greek thinker originally from Sinop. To become a philosopher, the 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 bent down and said: “There is no stick with which you could drive me away.” Antisthenes resigned himself.

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

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

Diogenes practically did not wear clothes, frightening the townspeople with his nakedness. In winter I did rubdowns, hardening, did not hide under the blanket, it was simply not there. People considered the eccentric a beggar, without family and tribe. But the thinker deliberately led such a way of existence. He believed that everything a person needs is given to him by nature; excesses only interfere with life and lull the mind. The philosopher actively participated in the life of the Athenians. Known as a controversialist, the man started conversations about politics, social changes, and criticized famous citizens. He was never 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 material things

The philosophy of the Cynics reflects Diogenes' true judgments about the structure of society. Shocking, antisocial behavior forced others to think about real values - why a person renounces benefits in favor of self-restraint.

His compatriots respected the thinker, despite his insolence, came to him for advice, considered him a sage, and even loved him. One day a little hooligan broke Diogenes' barrel - the townspeople gave him a new one.

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

Once a thinker walking along the shopping aisles was asked: “You are giving up material wealth. Then why are you coming 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 for honest people who could not be found even in the light of the sun and fire.

Sitting in a barrel, the sage approached the powers that be. Having become closely acquainted with the thinker, Macedonian said: “If I had not been a king, I would have become Diogenes.” He consulted with a sage about the need to go to India. The philosopher was critical of the ruler’s plan, predicted infection with fever, and in a friendly manner advised the commander to become his neighbor in the barrel. Macedonsky refused, went to India and died there of fever.

Diogenes promoted freedom from temptation. He believed that marriages between people were an unnecessary relic; children and women should be shared. He ridiculed religion, faith as such. He saw kindness as a true value, but stated that people had forgotten how to show it, and were condescending towards their shortcomings.

Life path of a philosopher

The biography of the thinker begins in 412 BC, when he was born in the city of Sinope into a noble family. In his youth, the Sinopian thinker wanted to mint coins with his father, for which he was expelled from his hometown. His wanderings led 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 separation of the essence of things from familiar images. His goal is to destroy generally accepted concepts of good and evil. The philosopher surpasses the teacher in popularity and strictness of lifestyle. 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 wandered. In ancient times there were public baths, where a man monitored hygiene.

The year 338 BC was marked by the Battle of Chaeronea between Macedonia, Athens and Thebes. Despite the fact that the opposing 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 on the slave market, where Xeniades bought him as a slave.

The philosopher died in 323 BC. e. What his death was is anyone's guess. There are several versions - poisoning by raw octopus, a bite from a rabid dog, an unfinished practice of holding one's breath. The philosopher treated death and the treatment of the dead after it with humor. He was once asked, “How would you like to be buried?” The Thinker suggested: “Throw me outside the city, the wild animals will do their job.” “Won’t you be scared?” the curious were not appeased. “Then give me the club,” continued the philosopher. Onlookers wondered how he would use a weapon while dead. Diogenes sneered: “Then why should I be afraid if I’m already dead?”

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

Discussions with Plato

Not all his contemporaries treated him with sympathy. Plato considered him insane. This opinion was based on the lifestyle of the Sinope thinker, and to a lesser extent on his philosophical ideas. Plato reproached his opponent for shamelessness, viciousness, uncleanliness, and disgustingness. The truth was in his words: Diogenes, as a representative of a cynical person, wandered, relieved himself in front of the townspeople, publicly masturbated, and violated moral laws in various ways. Plato believed that there should be moderation in everything; such unpleasant spectacles should not be put on display.

Regarding 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 to observers “a new individual according to Plato.” The opponent retorted: “Then, according to Diogenes, a person is a mixture of a madman who has escaped from a mental hospital and a half-naked tramp running after the royal retinue.”

Slavery as power

When the thinker entered the slave market after the Battle of Chaeronea, they asked him what talents he possessed. Diogenes said: “What I know best is to rule over people.”

The sage was enslaved by Xeniades and became a teacher for his two sons. Diogenes taught the boys to ride horses and throw darts. He taught the children history and Greek poetry. Once he was asked: “Why don’t you, being a slave, wash your own apples?”, the answer was amazing: “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 viewed it as complete, unlimited freedom, independence from imposed restrictions. He watched how a mouse, needing almost nothing, lived in its hole, being content with insignificant things. Following her example, the sage also sat down in pithos and became happy.

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

Diogenes was born in 412 BC. in the Greek colony of Sinop on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Information about his early years has not reached us. What is known for certain is that his father, Gitsesius, was a trapezite. Apparently, Diogenes helped his father in banking. The story describes a case when a father and son brought trouble upon themselves by being caught in falsification or counterfeiting of coins. As a result, Diogenes is expelled from the city. This story is confirmed by archaeological evidence in the form of several counterfeit coins with minted marks found in Sinop and dated to the 4th century. BC. There are also other coins from the same period with the name of Hycaesius engraved on them as the person who issued them. The reasons for this incident remain unclear to this day, however, given that in the 4th century there were clashes between pro-Persian and pro-Greek groups in Sinop, this act could have had political motives. There is another version of this event, according to which Diogenes goes for advice to the oracle of Delphi, receiving in response a prophecy about a “change of course,” and Diogenes understands that this is not about the exchange rate of coins, but about a change in political direction. And then he goes to Athens, ready to challenge existing values and ways of life.

In Athens

Upon arrival in Athens, Diogenes aims at the metaphorical destruction of the “minted” foundations. The destruction of generally accepted values and traditions becomes the main goal of his life. The people of antiquity, without thinking about the true nature of evil, weakly relied on established ideas about it. This distinction between the essence and the usual images is one of the favorite themes of Greek philosophy of the ancient world. There is evidence that Diogenes arrived in Athens accompanied by a slave named Manes, who, however, soon ran away from him. With his natural sense of humor, Diogenes shrugs off the failure that befell him with the words: “If Manes can live without Diogenes, why can’t Diogenes live without Manes?” The philosopher will joke about this relationship, in which one is completely dependent on the other, more than once. Diogenes is literally fascinated by the ascetic teaching of Antisthenes, a student of Socrates. Therefore, despite all the difficulties that he has to face at the beginning, Diogenes becomes a faithful follower of Antisthenes. Whether the two philosophers actually met or not remains unclear, but Diogenes soon surpassed Antisthenes in both the reputation he had won and the severity of his lifestyle. Diogenes sets his voluntary renunciation of earthly goods in contrast to the morals of the Athenians that existed at that time. And these views lead him to a deep rejection of all stupidity, pretense, vanity, self-deception and falsity of human behavior.

According to the rumors surrounding his life, this is the enviable consistency of his character. Diogenes successfully adapts to any weather changes, living in a tub near the temple of Cybele. Having once seen a peasant boy drinking from clasped palms, the philosopher breaks his only wooden cup. In Athens at that time, it was not customary to eat in the market squares, but Diogenes ate stubbornly, proving that every time he wanted to eat at the market. Another oddity of his behavior was that, in broad daylight, he always walked with a lighted lamp. When they asked him what he needed the lamp for, he answered: “I’m looking for an honest man.” He constantly looked for humanity in people, but more often he came across only scammers and crooks. When Plato, echoing Socrates, called man a “featherless two-legged animal,” for which everyone around him lavished praise on him, Diogenes brought him a chicken and said: “Look! I brought you a man." After this incident, Plato revised the definition and added to it the characteristic “with wide, flat nails.”

In Corinth

If you believe the testimony of Menippus from Gadara, Diogenes once set off on a voyage to the shores of Aegina, during which he was captured by pirates who sold the philosopher into slavery to a Corinthian from Crete named Xeniades. When Diogenes was asked about his craft, he replied that he knew no other craft than to instruct people on the right path, and that he wanted to be sold to someone who himself needed an owner. The philosopher would spend his entire subsequent life in Corinth, becoming a mentor to the two sons of Xeniades. He devotes his entire life to preaching the doctrines of chaste self-control. There is a version according to which he conveyed his views to a wider audience, speaking to the public at the Isthmian Games.

Relationship with Alexander

Already in Corinth, Diogenes meets with Alexander the Great. According to the testimony of Plutarch and Diogenes Laertius, the two exchanged only a few words. One morning, while Diogenes was resting, basking in the rays of the sun, he was disturbed to introduce him to the famous philosopher, Alexander. When asked if he was glad to have such an honor, Diogenes replied: “Yes, only you are blocking the sun for me,” to which Alexander said: “If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes.” There is another story according to which Alexander found Diogenes contemplating a pile of human bones. Diogenes explained his occupation as follows: “I am looking for the bones of your father, but I just can’t distinguish them from slaves.”

Death

Diogenes died in 323 BC. There have been many versions of his death. Some believe that he died while practicing holding his breath, others believe that he was poisoned by raw octopus, and some are of the opinion that he died from the bite of a sick dog. When the philosopher was asked how he wanted to be buried, he always answered that he would like to be thrown outside the city wall, so that wild animals would feast on his body. In response to whether he himself would be scared from this, he replied: “Not at all, if you provide me with a stick.” To all the amazed remarks about how he could use a stick when he had no consciousness, Diogenes said: “Why should I then worry when I won’t have consciousness anyway?” Already in a later period of his life, Diogenes would make fun of the excessive interest shown by people in the “proper” treatment of the dead. In memory of him, the Corinthians erected a column of Parian marble, on which a dog, curled up, sleeps.