I think it's a safe bet that the average person probably doesn't know enough about philosophers to have a favorite. Most people – unless they are active in academia or politics – probably don't know enough about philosophers to name more than one or two.
And it is not an insult to any other statement applies to. Philosophy is a very dense and complicated subject to learn about. There are dozens of activities that are more accessible or simply more entertaining to do with the limited free time most people have.
If this is you, I'd like to offer a good candidate to be your favorite philosopher:Diogenes. He is one of the most interesting philosophers who ever lived, and he is possibly the funniest. Diogenes was an ancient Greek philosopher with a wit sharper than any hoplite's sword. He would be a good choice to mention if you find academics swarming you at a social gathering.
But you have to know a little about him to back up that claim. So don't worry; I'm here to cover the bases for you. First I will dive into the man himself, his core beliefs and finally some of the best anecdotes about him.
The Life of Diogenes
We know very little about Diogenes' early life. The first thing we know is that he was born in Sinope in 412 BCE. Next thing we know, Diogenes as an adult was banished from Sinope for tampering with the city's coins in some way. How? Historians are not sure. It's not even a certain fact that Diogenes was the one doing the tampering - there's a chance it could have been his father, and Diogenes just got caught in the legal crossfire.
In any case, Diogenes had to leave his birthplace. He went to Athens, but before he arrived he sent word to his friend in the city and asked him to find lodgings for him. But his friend had failed to find a place for him before he reached the city. Realizing this, Diogenes decided to move into an oversized wine chest that sat outside a temple. It was a bit dramatic, Athens was a big enough city at the time that it hadn't been It hard to find a room. But it worked well enough for Diogenes in the end.
Diogenes the philosopher
In Athens he met the man who would influence many of his own beliefs:Antisthenes. Antisthenes was a philosopher in his own right who believed in self-control and living simply, as noted by the World History Encyclopedia. Diogenes was excited by the philosopher's teachings and tried to get a place in his school. Antisthenes certainly did not wish this first and repeatedly the other man away. He even went as far as trying to hit the other man with a stick! But Diogenes was nothing if not stubborn, and he was relentless in his persistence. Finally Antisthenes would allow him to enter his school.
Diogenes took Antisthenes' beliefs and expanded upon them, pushing them in a more radical direction. Eli Kramer, in his newspaper, writes that Diogenes lived on the streets of Athens, owned almost nothing and earned no money. He ate, slept and relieved himself in public. His behavior led the citizens of Athens to nickname him "Diogenes the Dog." However, the name didn't bother the man in the least, and he often leaned into this identity to prove his points.
Diogenes spread his teachings often, but not in a traditional school environment as was standard at the time. In fact, he had a strong dislike for the schools run by his contemporaries. So instead he preached his faith on the streets of Athens to anyone who would listen. And if one would not listen, Diogenes would show them through actions or quips at their expense. No passer-by in Athens was safe from his sharp comments and judgment.
Death in 323 BCE
Diogenes continued to live in his coffin and be a general threat to his philosophers and the Greek elite for many decades.
How he died is uncertain, and a few possible outcomes are floating around. Some say he died of food poisoning or rabies. On the other hand, his students and friends were determined that Diogenes simply got tired of living and held his breath long enough for him to die. Although it seems absurd, it is certainly not too small a character for the philosopher.
Diogenes' beliefs
As mentioned earlier, some of Diogenes' core beliefs revolved around living simply and naturally. He was also a great believer in the idea of self-sufficiency and virtue. Diogenes continually mocked the rich and the extravagant. He thought society had become too self-absorbed. People had become too complacent to be cruel to their fellow human beings.
Most of what Diogenes wanted to get rid of people can also be considered cruel. But as Kramer quotes in his work, “(Diogenes) used to say that he imitated the choirmaster; because they wanted to set the pitch a little sharp so that everyone else hits the right note. ” So Diogenes went with nothing, so others can reflect and consider what they really need. He mocked mercilessly so that others would think carefully about the effect of their own words.
Diogenes is one of the prominent figures that scholars point to when establishing Cynicism as a school of philosophy. The Internet Encyclopedia of Psychology notes that cynicism as a school has no official rules. Nevertheless, the central values revolve around living simply and self-sufficiently in harmony with nature. As a result, cynics usually look down on the ideas of acquiring wealth or possessions.
Diogenes embodied these ideas to the most radical extremes. Later Cynics followed in his footsteps and shared and practiced their teachings in public settings.
Cynicism would continue to be practiced and taught by philosophers into the height of the Roman Empire before finally declining in the 5 th century AD
trivia
If I included every single story shared by Diogenes, this article would be terrifyingly large. So instead of covering everything, I've chosen just the highlights to go over in this section. If you'd like to read about these stories along with the ones I didn't mention as recorded by a historian from thousands of years ago, check out this link.
Whether all these anecdotes really happened is another matter entirely. Diogenes was a real person, but he has become something of a mythological figure over the hundreds of years since he lived. One that people tell stories about and depicted in their artwork.
Some stories may be based on fact, but exaggerated over time. Others may be completely false. Maybe some are complete and utter facts despite sounding completely improbable. I leave the designations for each one up to you to decide for yourself.
Diogenes and the pirates
Later in life, Diogenes was picked off the streets of Athens by pirates and captured. He was taken to Corinth, another Greek city, to be sold as a slave. His captors asked him what he was capable of, and he replied that he could "rule men." He went on to claim that no one looking for a slave would be happy with him. “But if anyone wants to buy a master,” he said, “there's one here for him.”
When his captors tried to sell him, Diogenes proclaimed that only Xeniades, another philosopher, should buy him. He repeated his position with such fervor and vigor that his captors sent for Xeniades, who agreed to buy him.
Diogenes became a tutor for Xeniades' sons and lived out the rest of his life in Corinth.
Diogenes and his fellow citizens
The philosopher was not one to shy away from speaking his mind, so the people around him would often hear statements.
Once Diogenes was invited into the home of a rich man. The man informed the philosopher that it was forbidden to spit anywhere that touched the floor of his house. After hearing this, Diogenes immediately spat in the man's face.
Others were not exempt from his sharp remarks either. Once Diogenes came across an archer who was trying to practice but was doing rather poorly. Diogenes went to the target and sat down, saying "Now I shall be out of danger."
In another instance, Diogenes went around Athens asking officials to make a statue of him. When someone asked why he did this, he replied that he was practicing disappointment.
His most famous antic involved him wandering the streets of Athens in the middle of a sunny day with a lantern. He would say that he searched the city for an honest man. Of course he would never find one.
Diogenes and Alexander the Great
Diogenes' life coincidentally overlapped with another of ancient Greece's most famous figures:Alexander the Great.
Alexander was the young king of Macedonia. He was a brilliant strategist and waged many successful wars, greatly expanding his territory in just a few years.
His father, Phillip, was also a great warrior king in his own right. One afternoon, Diogenes spent hours of his time digging around the ground looking for the dead king's bones. He would have no success because, as he declared, there was no difference between the bones of a king and the bones of a slave.
Diogenes had the chance to meet Alexander face to face. The young king made an appearance in Corinth, and many locals turned out to greet him - probably because it's not a good idea to ignore the man who holds full authority over your hometown.
Politicians, merchants and philosophers met Alexander, but Diogenes was missing from the number.
Alexander had gotten hold of the stories about the barrel-living man, and he found himself quite curious. He decided to visit the philosopher.
Diogenes had been enjoying the afternoon sun when the figures of Alexander and his closest generals suddenly loomed over him.
"I am Alexander the king of Macedon," said the warrior.
"I am Diogenes' dog," replied the philosopher.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" asked Alexander.
Diogenes looked the other man up and down. "Yes," he finally decided, "stay out of my sun a little."
Alexander's generals burst out laughing upon hearing the remark, though Diogenes was not astonished. However, Alexander admired the other man's confidence and said:"If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes. "
Diogenes &Plato
I'll bet that no two people have ever hated each other more in all of history than Diogenes and the Plate. These two disgust each other in every sense of the word.
Their philosophies were not very compatible and the two men argued constantly. Plato often referred to Diogenes as a madman, while Diogenes thought Plato's teachings completely useless.
A popular topic of conversation for academics during their time was the ongoing attempt to find a way to define man.
Plato came up with the short definition of humans as the "Featherless Two". This earned him much praise from his peers. However, Diogenes was not very impressed. When Diogenes heard about Plato's definition, he burst into Plato's school while he was teaching, holding a plucked chicken in his arms. He shouted "CONCEPTED, A MAN", and threw the animal in the middle of the lecture.
Plato quickly changed his definition of humanity to "Feathless toad with flat nails" after the incident.
You are a Diogenes expert!
So there you have it! Now you know a little about Diogenes the person, his philosophical beliefs and some of the best anecdotes about him. You're ready to proclaim him your favorite philosopher if a philosophy major ever asks you at a party. And if they disagree with your take on how awesome he is? Well, you can always take inspiration from Diogenes the Dog and spit in his face.
Resources and further reading
"Diogenes (412 BC-323 BC)." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A148418551/AONE?u=ko_acd_ac&sid=ebsco&xid=62f3e603. Accessed 14 July 2021.
Bryan, Van. "Diogenes of Sinope (404-323 BC)." Classical wisdom weekly 17 July 2013, classicwisdom.com/people/philosophers/diogenes-of-sinope-404-323-bce/.
Kramer, Eli. "Philosophical wandering as a mode of philosophy in cultural life:From Diogenes of Sinope to Cornel West." Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture, vol. 2, no 3, Nov. 2018, pp. 51–73. EBSCOhost, doi:10.26319/5815.
Mark, Joshua J.. “The Life of Diogenes of Sinope in Diogenes Laertius”. World History Encyclopedia . World History Encyclopedia, 06 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 July 2021.
Piering, Julie. "Cynics." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, iep.utm.edu/cynics/.