Also, in spite of the cruelty he experienced initially, Diogenes became the student of Antisthenes. He was charmed by the ascetic teachings of Antisthenes who was a pupil of Socrates. With an in-built characteristic humor, Diogenes abolished his misfortune by saying “If Manes can live without Diogenes, why not Diogenes without Manes?” Diogenes continued making joke of such immense dependency relations. Diogenes is said to have moved to Athens with a slave called ‘Manes’, who eventually left him.
This distinction between nature and custom remained a most liked theme of Greek philosophers in ancient times. Instead of being worried about the real nature of evil, people simply depended on customary interpretations. Destroying the established customs and values became the main motive of his life. In AthensĪfter coming to Athens, Diogenes motive became to metaphorically destroy the “coinage” of custom. He, then, journeyed to Athens making his goal for a life to challenge the already present customs and values. Another story regarding this act suggests that Diogenes went to the Oracle at Delphi to take its advice, and was asked that he should “deface the currency”, and Diogenes realized that the oracle meant that he should deface the political currency rather than the actual coins. The reason for this act is still not clear, although Sinope had been the witness of clashes between pro-Persian and pro-Greek factions in the 4 th century, and there may be some political motives behind the same. This aspect of the story is certified by the archaeological evidence as several defaced coins destroyed by a big chisel stamp were found at Sinope dated the middle of the 4th century BC, and other coins of the same time period bearing the name of Hicesias as the official who created them. As a result, Diogenes was thrown out from the city. At one time, Diogenes and his father got involved in a scandal of adulteration or defacement of the currency inviting trouble for themselves. It appears that Diogenes was also engaged into the banking business helping his father. There is no information on his early life except that his father’s name was Hicesias who was a banker by profession. Biography detail Diogenes Childhood and Early Lifeĭiogenes was born on 412 BC in the Greek colony of Sinope on the south coast of the Black Sea. Read more about this great philosopher in the following article. All his writings were destroyed by time, but the details of his life is taken from the forms of anecdotes, specifically from Diogenes Laërtius’s book “Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers.” // Famous PhilosophersĪlan Watts was a famous British philosopher known for his Zen teachings and interpretations of Eastern philosophy. The belief of Diogenes was that the virtue was excellently exposed in action than in theory.
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The entire life of Diogenes was an adamant campaign to debunk social values and institutions of what he examined as a society full of corruption. Diogenes was also a loyal admirer of Hercules. After being hooked by the pirates and sold into slavery, he, by the course of time, settled in Corinth. He was usually involved in an argument with Plato. However, despite being poor and not well-off, Diogenes was much talked about, thanks to his proactive behavior and philosophical stunts.
He then moved to Athens and struggled for livelihood. All his life, he was surrounded by controversies.Diogenes was thrown out of his native place for damaging the currency. Diogenes illustrated his philosophy of Cynicism to Crates who taught it to Zeno of Citium who further forwarded it into the school of Stoicism which was amongst the most enduring Greek philosophy schools. At one time, he cleverly ashamed Plato and looked upon Antisthenes as the true beneficiary of Socrates. He was among the very few men to openly mock “Alexander the Great” and live. Being an alleged student of Antisthenes, he maintained his teacher’s asceticism and emphasis on ethics but carried out these philosophical positions with dynamism and sense of humor unique in the history of philosophy. He was the only person to be the pupil of Antisthenes. He is also remembered as “Diogenes of Sinope” or simply Diogenes. Diogenes was a commendable Greek philosopher and one of the founders of the Cynic philosophy from Sinope.
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