Diogenes died in a barrel from gluttony. Diogenes of Sinope: biography, interesting facts, video

Biography

Biography (en.wikipedia.org)

Feature article

Due to the large number of conflicting descriptions and doxographies, the figure of Diogenes today appears too ambiguous. The works attributed to Diogenes that have survived to this day were most likely created by followers and belong to a later time. Information has also been preserved about the existence of at least five Diogenes in one period. This greatly complicates the systematic organization of information about Diogenes of Sinope.

The name of Diogenes, from anecdotes and legends in which it belonged to the ambivalent figure of the sage-buffoon and integrated extensive fiction, was often transferred to the critical works of other philosophers (Aristotle, Diogenes Laertius, etc.). On the basis of anecdotes and parables, an entire literary tradition of antiquity arose, embodied in the genres of apothegmata and chriae (Diogenes Laertius, Metroclus of Maronea, Dion Chrysostomos, etc.). The most famous story is about how Diogenes searched for Man with fire during the day (the same story was told about Aesop, Heraclitus, Democritus, Archilochus, etc.).

The main source of information about Diogenes is the treatise “On the Life, Teachings and Sayings of Famous Philosophers” by Diogenes Laertius. While asserting that Diogenes of Sinope has unsystematic views and a lack of teaching in general, Diogenes Laertius nevertheless reports, referring to Sotion, about 14 works of Diogenes, among which are presented as philosophical works (“On Virtue”, “On Goodness”, etc.), and several tragedies. Turning, however, to the vast number of Cynic doxographies, one can come to the conclusion that Diogenes had a fully formed system of views. According to these testimonies, he, preaching an ascetic lifestyle, despised luxury, was content with the clothes of a tramp, using pithos (a large vessel for wine) for housing, and in his means of expression he was often so straightforward and rude that he earned himself the names “Dog” and “crazy Socrates".

There is no doubt that in his conversations and everyday life, Diogenes often behaved as a marginal subject, shocking this or that audience not so much with the aim of insulting or humiliating them, but rather out of the need to pay attention to the foundations of society, religious norms, the institution of marriage, etc. d. Affirmed the primacy of virtue over the laws of society; rejected belief in gods established by religious institutions. He rejected civilization, in particular the state, considering it a false invention of demagogues. He declared culture to be violence against human beings and called for man to return to a primitive state; preached the community of wives and children. He declared himself a citizen of the world; promoted the relativity of generally accepted moral norms; the relativity of authorities not only among politicians, but also among philosophers. Thus, his relationship with Plato, whom he considered a talker, is well known. In general, Diogenes recognized only ascetic virtue based on imitation of nature, finding in it the only goal of man.

In later tradition, Diogenes' negative actions towards society were, more than likely, deliberately exaggerated. Therefore, the entire history of the life and work of this thinker appears as a myth created by many historians and philosophers. It is difficult to find unambiguous information even of a biographical nature. Thanks to his originality, Diogenes is one of the most prominent representatives of antiquity, and the Cynic paradigm he set later had a serious influence on a variety of philosophical concepts.

He died, according to Diogenes Laertius, on the same day as Alexander the Great. A marble monument in the shape of a dog was erected on his grave, with the epitaph:
Let the copper grow old under the power of time - still
Your glory will survive the centuries, Diogenes:
You taught us how to live, being content with what you have,
You showed us a path that couldn’t be easier.

Exiled Philosopher

It is believed that Diogenes began his “philosophical career” after he was expelled from his hometown for damaging a coin.

Laertius mentions that before turning to philosophy, Diogenes ran a coinage workshop, and his father was a money changer. The father tried to involve his son in making counterfeit coins. Doubting Diogenes took a trip to Delphi to the oracle of Apollo, who gave advice to “do a reassessment of values,” as a result of which Diogenes took part in his father’s scam, was exposed with him, caught and expelled from his hometown.

Incidents from the life of Diogenes

* Once, already an old man, Diogenes saw a boy drinking water from a handful, and in frustration threw his cup out of his bag, saying: “The boy has surpassed me in the simplicity of life.” He also threw away the bowl when he saw another boy who, having broken his bowl, was eating lentil soup from a piece of eaten bread.
* Diogenes begged for alms from the statues “to accustom himself to refusal.”
* When Diogenes asked someone to borrow money, he did not say “give me money,” but “give me my money.”
* When Alexander the Great came to Attica, he, of course, wanted to get to know the famous “outcast” like many others. Plutarch says that Alexander waited a long time for Diogenes himself to come to him to express his respect, but the philosopher spent his time calmly at home. Then Alexander himself decided to visit him. He found Diogenes in Crania (in a gymnasium near Corinth) while he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: “I am the great King Alexander.” “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” “And why do they call you a dog?” “Whoever throws a piece, I wag, whoever doesn’t throw, I bark, whoever is an evil person, I bite.” “Are you afraid of me?” - asked Alexander. “What are you,” asked Diogenes, “evil or good?” “Good,” he said. “And who is afraid of good?” Finally, Alexander said: “Ask me whatever you want.” “Move away, you are blocking the sun for me,” said Diogenes and continued to bask. On the way back, in response to the jokes of his friends who were making fun of the philosopher, Alexander allegedly even remarked: “If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes.” Ironically, Alexander died on the same day as Diogenes, June 10, 323 BC. e.
* When the Athenians were preparing for war with Philip of Macedon and bustle and excitement reigned in the city, Diogenes began to roll his barrel in which he lived through the streets. When asked why he was doing this, Diogenes replied: “Everyone is busy, so am I.”
* Diogenes said that grammarians study the disasters of Odysseus and do not know their own; musicians fret the strings of the lyre and cannot control their own temper; mathematicians follow the sun and moon, but do not see what is under their feet; rhetoricians teach to speak correctly and do not teach to act correctly; Finally, misers scold money, but they themselves love it most of all.
* Diogenes’ lantern, with which he wandered through crowded places in broad daylight with the words “I’m looking for a Man,” became a textbook example back in antiquity.
* One day, having washed, Diogenes was leaving the bathhouse, and acquaintances who were just about to wash were walking towards him. “Diogenes,” they asked in passing, “how is it full of people?” “That’s enough,” Diogenes nodded. Immediately he met other acquaintances who were also going to wash and also asked: “Hello, Diogenes, are there a lot of people washing?” “There are almost no people,” Diogenes shook his head. Returning once from Olympia, when asked whether there were many people there, he replied: “There are a lot of people, but very few people.” And one day he went out into the square and shouted: “Hey, people, people!”; but when the people came running, they attacked him with a stick, saying: “I called people, not scoundrels.”
* Diogenes kept masturbating in front of everyone; when the Athenians remarked about this, they say, “Diogenes, everything is clear, we have a democracy and you can do what you want, but aren’t you going too far?”, he replied: “If only hunger could be relieved by rubbing your stomach.”
* When Plato gave a definition that had great success: “Man is an animal with two legs, devoid of feathers,” Diogenes plucked the rooster and brought it to his school, declaring: “Here is Plato’s man!” To which Plato was forced to add “... and with flat nails” to his definition.
* One day Diogenes came to a lecture with Anaximenes of Lampsacus, sat in the back rows, took a fish out of a bag and raised it above his head. First one listener turned around and began to look at the fish, then another, then almost everyone. Anaximenes was indignant: “You ruined my lecture!” “But what is a lecture worth,” said Diogenes, “if some salted fish upset your reasoning?”
* When asked which wine tastes better for him to drink, he answered: “Someone else’s.”
* One day someone brought him to a luxurious home and remarked: “You see how clean it is here, don’t spit somewhere, it will be all right for you.” Diogenes looked around and spat in his face, declaring: “Where to spit if there is no worse place.”
* When someone was reading a long work and an unwritten place at the end of the scroll already appeared, Diogenes exclaimed: “Courage, friends: the shore is visible!”
* To the inscription of one newlywed who wrote on his house: “The son of Zeus, victorious Hercules, dwells here, let no evil enter!” Diogenes added: “First war, then alliance.”
* In a large crowd of people, where Diogenes was also present, a young man involuntarily released gases, for which Diogenes hit him with a stick and said: “Listen, bastard, without really doing anything to behave impudently in public, you began to show us here your contempt for the opinions of the [majority]?” -
* “When Diogenes farted and shitted in the agora, as they say, he did it in order to trample on human pride and show people that their own actions were much worse and more painful than what he did, for what he did, it was according to nature" - Julian. To the ignorant cynics
* One day the philosopher Aristippus, who made a fortune by praising the king, saw Diogenes washing lentils and said: “If you had glorified the king, you would not have to eat lentils!” To which Diogenes objected: “If you had learned to eat lentils, then you would not have to glorify the king!”
* Once, when he (Antisthenes) swung a stick at him, Diogenes, putting his head up, said: “Strike, but you will not find such a strong stick to drive me away until you say something.” From then on, he became a student of Antisthenes and, being an exile, led a very simple life. -

Notes

1. Julian. To the ignorant cynics
2. Diogenes Laertius. About the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers. Book VI. Diogenes

Biography

Diogenes, Detail of Rafaello Santi's "The School of Athens" (1510), Vatican collection, Vatican City

Puchinov M. I. "Conversation between Alexander the Great and Diogenes"

Diogenes of Sinope was born around 400 BC. Diogenes was the son of noble parents. As a young man, he was expelled from his hometown on charges of making counterfeit money. Around 385, Diogenes arrived in Athens and became a student of the philosopher Antisthenes, founder of the Cynic school.

Diogenes traveled a lot and lived for some time in Corinth.

Author of 7 tragedies and 14 dialogues of an ethical nature, which have not survived to this day. The hero of numerous parables and anecdotes that portray Diogenes as an ascetic philosopher who lived in a barrel (pithos), a preacher of Cynic virtue (a reasonable return to natural nature), and a subverter of public morality.

One of the most famous parables about Diogenes tells: Alexander the Great wanted to make Diogenes rich and, approaching the barrel in which the philosopher settled, asked: “What would you like to get from me, Diogenes?” Diogenes calmly responded: “So that you move away, since you are blocking the sun for me.” It must be admitted that history has not left an unambiguous interpretation of this parable. Some consider Diogenes' words to be subtle, sophisticated flattery, while the majority regards this as the highest manifestation of the philosopher's worldview - complete disregard for the generally accepted order of things.

Diogenes considered primitive society ideal, and therefore resolutely rejected civilization, state, culture. He did not recognize patriotism, called himself a cosmopolitan, and, following Plato, rejected the family, preaching the community of wives. He showed absolute indifference to the amenities of life and, not having his own home, settled in a barrel.

Of all the civil and human categories of existence, he recognized only one - ascetic virtue. In his adherence to the Cynic school he far surpassed his teacher, Antisthenes.

Died around 323 BC. e.

Diogenes and Alexander (quote)

And so Alexander stops in front of the squatting Diogenes, and the entire crowd freezes in silent delight, surrounding them in a dense ring.

It was one of the first warm days of spring, and Diogenes climbed out of his barrel to bask in the sun. He sat and carelessly squinted into the light of God, sometimes scratching either his thick reddish beard or his dirty side, until the dark figure of a handsome fair-haired youth appeared in front of him. But Diogenes, it seemed, did not even notice his appearance and continued to look straight ahead, as if through this man and through the crowd that had come with him.

Without waiting for a greeting, and hearing the tense snoring of the crowd behind him, Alexander, still with the same friendly smile, took another step towards this impudent man and said:

Hello, glorious Diogenes! I came here to greet you. All of Greece is talking only about your new wisdom that you preach. So I came to look at you and maybe get some advice.

Can wisdom be preached? - Diogenes asked, narrowing his eyes even more. - If you want to become wise, become poor. But judging by your appearance, you are a rich man and proud of it. Who are you?

Alexander's face frowned for a moment, but he pulled himself together and smiled again.

Don't you know who I am, glorious Diogenes? I am Alexander, son of Philip. Maybe you've heard of me?

“Yes, they’ve been talking about you a lot lately,” Diogenes answered dispassionately. “Are you the one who stormed Thebes and killed thirty thousand men, women, children and old people there?”

Are you judging me? - asked Alexander.

No,” Diogenes answered, after thinking a little, “you surprise me.” They say that you want to unite the Greeks to fight the Persians. Was it really necessary to kill so many innocents first? Are you hoping to unite people through fear?

Alexander already regretted that he had not listened to his teacher and came to this pathetic ragamuffin, but there was nowhere to retreat: the Greeks stood around him - his people, and the fate of the great cause that he conceived.

But, Diogenes, didn’t you say that people, by their primary nature, are animals? What does a person do when an animal is stubborn? So, what do you do when the donkey that is pulling your cart suddenly stops and doesn’t want to go?

“I don’t ride donkeys,” Diogenes answered innocently. - But if this happened, I would think hard: why did the donkey become? After all, every phenomenon has its own reason. Perhaps he is thirsty? Or maybe he wanted to nibble some juicy grass?.. But I don’t ride donkeys. Animals don't ride animals, do they? I walk - this is both useful and fair.

“You are very wise,” said Alexander, taking another step towards Diogenes. - But your wisdom is your wisdom. If people are like animals, then they are different as animals. What is good for the sheep is not good for the eagle. And what is good for the eagle is not good for the lion. And each of these animals must follow its destiny.

And what is your purpose? - Diogenes asked, swaying slightly forward, as if planning to stand up.

Unite the Greeks to conquer the whole world for them! - Alexander said loudly so that everyone could hear his words.

The world is so huge,” Diogenes said thoughtfully. “He’s more likely to conquer you than you are to conquer him.”

No matter how huge it is, with the support of my Greeks, I will reach the ends of the earth! - the young man exclaimed confidently.

And what will you do when you conquer the world?

“I’ll come back home,” Alexander said cheerfully. - And I will relax in the sun as carelessly as you do now.

It seemed to the young king, this darling of fate, that he had honorably completed such a difficult conversation at the beginning.

So you just need to conquer the whole world for this? - Diogenes asked, and mockery was now clearly heard in his words. - What’s stopping you from throwing off your shiny clothes right now and sitting down next to me? If you want, I'll even give you my seat.

Alexander was taken aback. He did not know what to answer to this cunning man who had so cleverly lured him into a trap. The people behind, who had been admiringly silent just a minute ago, now suddenly began to move, hummed dully, whispering certain words into the ears of their neighbors, and some of them, unable to restrain themselves, burst out with stifled laughter into their outstretched palms.

“You are very impudent, old man,” Alexander finally squeezed out. - Not everyone would dare to talk like that to the conqueror of Thebes. I see that those who say that you know no fear, neither in your deeds nor in your words, are right. If this is your wisdom, then it is akin to madness. But I like crazy people. I'm a little obsessed myself. And therefore I am not angry with you and, as a sign of respect for your madness, I am ready to fulfill any of your requests. Tell me - what do you want? I promise to fulfill it - or I am not Alexander the son of Philip!

The crowd fell silent again. And again it seemed to Alexander that he had defeated this savage who did not recognize the power of conventions over himself.

“I don’t need anything,” Diogenes answered barely audibly in complete silence, and for the first time in the entire conversation he smiled with the clear smile of a child. - However, if it’s not difficult for you, move a little to the side - you’re blocking the sun for me.

Alexander turned purple. He heard nothing except the beat of blood in the veins swollen at his temple. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and stood as if paralyzed...

Finally, his hand slipped from the handle and hung, dangling limply, along his body. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

Alexander turned around abruptly and moved away. And ahead of him walked his soldiers, roughly pushing aside the crowd that had not yet recovered from everything they had heard.

This is how the story ended.

However, there is another version - more common. It says that the last word remained with Alexander, who allegedly exclaimed in admiration at the crazy words of Diogenes:

I swear, if I weren't Alexander, I would want to be Diogenes!

The same story says that Alexander that same evening sent Diogenes truly royal gifts, which he gave away, almost all of them, as was his custom, to random people, leaving for himself only a jug of wine and some bread and cheese.

In fact, Aristotle came up with this belated answer for Alexander. It was he who launched the story about the meeting of the great Alexander with the great Diogenes, with the ending he invented, to the people when they arrived in Athens.

DIOGENES OF SINOPES (Gorobey M.S. Report on the course “Psychology of communication and public speaking” / Donetsk, DonNTU. - 2011.)

Introduction

DIOGENES of Sinope (c. 412 - c. 323 BC), Greek philosopher, founder of Cynicism. He was a preacher of cynic virtue (a reasonable return to natural nature), a subverter of public morality. There are two assumptions about the origin of the name Cynics. The most common is the origin from the name of the Athenian hill Kinosarg (“Gray Dog”) with a gymnasium, where the founder of the school, Antisthenes, studied with his students. The second option is directly from the word “????” (kion - dog), since Antisthenes taught that one must live “like a dog.” Whatever the correct explanation, the Cynics agreed with the nickname "dogs" as their symbol. He spent most of his time wandering around Greece, calling himself a citizen not of a polis state, but of the entire cosmos - a “cosmopolitan” (later this term was widely used by the Stoics). Diogenes traveled a lot and lived for some time in Corinth.

Exiled Philosopher

It is believed that Diogenes began his “philosophical career” after he was expelled from his hometown for damaging a coin. Laertius mentions that before turning to philosophy, Diogenes ran a coinage workshop, and his father was a money changer. The father tried to involve his son in making counterfeit coins. Doubting Diogenes took a trip to Delphi to the oracle of Apollo, who gave advice to “do a reassessment of values,” as a result of which Diogenes took part in his father’s scam, was exposed with him, caught and expelled from his hometown.

Another version says that after the exposure, Diogenes himself fled to Delphi, where, in response to the question of what he needed to do to become famous, he received advice from the oracle to “do a reassessment of values.” After this, Diogenes went to wander around Greece, ca. 355-350 BC e. appeared in Athens, where he became a follower of Antisthenes.

Diogenes looked like this:
- he was completely bald, although he wore a long beard, so that, according to his alleged words, not to change the appearance given to him by nature;
- he was stooped to the point of hunching, because of this his gaze was always from under his brows;
- walked, leaning on a stick, at the top of which there was a branch, where Diogenes hung his wanderer’s knapsack;
- He treated everyone with caustic contempt.

Diogenes dressed as follows:
- a short raincoat on a naked body,
- bare feet,
- shoulder bag and traveling staff;
- his home was also famous: he lived in a clay barrel in the Athenian square.

Teachings of Diogenes

Diogenes wrote a lot, including tragedies (in which, apparently, he propagated his teachings). Author of 7 tragedies and 14 dialogues of an ethical nature, which have not survived to this day. The hero of numerous parables and anecdotes that portray Diogenes as an ascetic philosopher who lived in a barrel (pithos).

Based on later reports, conclusions can be drawn about the essence of Diogenes' teachings. The main content of Diogenes' teaching was the moralistic preaching of the ideal of life in accordance with nature and ascetic abstinence in everything related to bodily needs. A strict denouncer of all sexual intemperance (especially teenage and female prostitution), he himself was known to Athenian inhabitants as a “shameless person”, prone to various obscene gestures, which showed his contempt for the norms and “laws” of human existence.

The philosopher taught that a person has very few natural needs, and all of them can be easily satisfied. In addition, nothing natural, according to Diogenes, can be shameful. Limiting his needs, Diogenes diligently indulged in asceticism and foolishness, which served as the basis for numerous anecdotes about his life. So, after observing the mouse, Diogenes decided that property was not needed for happiness; looking at the snail carrying a house on its back, Diogenes settled in a clay barrel - pithos; Seeing a child drinking from a handful, he threw away the last thing he had - a cup.

Diogenes rejected all conventions that prohibited the satisfaction of natural needs at any time and in any place. He was the first of the Greek philosophers to preach cosmopolitanism. Diogenes tried to convey to all people his conviction that the renunciation of desires is much more virtuous and beneficial than their satisfaction. For his “shamelessness” he was nicknamed “the dog”, and this animal became a symbol of the Cynics.

Diogenes considered primitive society ideal, and therefore resolutely rejected civilization, the state, and culture. He did not recognize patriotism, called himself a cosmopolitan, and, following Plato, rejected the family, preaching the community of wives.

Diogenes lived in a barrel, wanting to show that a true philosopher, who has learned the meaning of life, no longer needs material goods that are so important for ordinary people. The Cynics believed that the highest moral task of man is to limit his needs as much as possible and thus return to his “natural” state.

Incidents from the life of Diogenes

Once he walked around Athens in broad daylight with a lantern, saying that he was “looking for a man.”

The philosopher tempered his body: in the summer he rolled on the hot sand of the sun, and in the winter he hugged statues covered with snow. There is also a legend about the hardening of Diogenes.

When Diogenes asked someone to borrow money, he did not say “give me money,” but “give me my money.”

When Alexander the Great came to Attica, he, of course, wanted to get to know the famous “outcast” like many others. Plutarch says that Alexander waited a long time for Diogenes himself to come to him to express his respect, but the philosopher spent his time calmly at home. Then Alexander himself decided to visit him. He found 70-year-old Diogenes in Crania (in a gymnasium near Corinth) while he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: “I am the great King Alexander.” “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” “And why do they call you a dog?” “Whoever throws a piece, I wag, whoever doesn’t throw, I bark, whoever is an evil person, I bite.” “Are you afraid of me?” - asked Alexander. “What are you,” asked Diogenes, “evil or good?” “Good,” he said. “And who is afraid of good?” Finally, Alexander said: “Ask me whatever you want.” “Move away, you are blocking the sun for me,” said Diogenes and continued to bask.
On the way back, in response to the jokes of his friends who were making fun of the philosopher, Alexander allegedly even remarked: “If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes.”

When the Athenians were preparing for war with Philip of Macedon and bustle and excitement reigned in the city, Diogenes began to roll his barrel in which he lived through the streets. He was asked: “Why is this, Diogenes?” He replied: “Everyone is busy right now, so it’s not good for me to be idle; and I roll a barrel because I have nothing else.”

Of all the civil and human categories of existence, he recognized only one - ascetic virtue. In his adherence to the school of the Cynics he far surpassed his teacher, Antisthenes.

Diogenes said that grammarians study the disasters of Odysseus and do not know their own; musicians fret the strings of the lyre and cannot control their own temper; mathematicians follow the sun and moon, but do not see what is under their feet; rhetoricians teach to speak correctly and do not teach to act correctly; Finally, misers scold money, but they themselves love it most of all.

When Plato gave a definition that had great success: “Man is an animal with two legs, devoid of feathers,” Diogenes plucked the rooster and brought it to his school, declaring: “Here is Plato’s man!” To which Plato was forced to add “... and with flat nails” to his definition.

One day Diogenes came to a lecture with Anaximenes of Lampsacus, sat in the back rows, took a fish out of a bag and raised it above his head. First one listener turned around and began to look at the fish, then another, then almost everyone. Anaximenes was indignant: “You ruined my lecture!” “But what is a lecture worth,” said Diogenes, “if some salted fish upset your reasoning?”

One day someone brought him to a luxurious home and remarked: “You see how clean it is here, don’t spit somewhere, it will be all right with you.” Diogenes looked around and spat in his face, declaring: “Where to spit if there is no worse place.”

When someone was reading a long work and an unwritten place at the end of the scroll already appeared, Diogenes exclaimed: “Courage, friends: the shore is visible!”

One day, after washing, Diogenes was leaving the bathhouse, and acquaintances who were just about to wash were walking towards him. “Diogenes,” they asked in passing, “how is it full of people?” “That’s enough,” Diogenes nodded. Immediately he met other acquaintances who were also going to wash and also asked: “Hello, Diogenes, are there a lot of people washing?” “There are almost no people,” Diogenes shook his head. Returning once from Olympia, when asked whether there were many people there, he replied: “There are a lot of people, but very few people.” And one day he went out into the square and shouted: “Hey, people, people!”; but when the people came running, they attacked him with a stick, saying: “I called people, not scoundrels.”

CONCLUSION

Ironically, Alexander died on the same day as Diogenes, June 10, 323 BC. e., eating raw octopus and getting cholera; but there is also a version that death occurred “from holding your breath.”

A monument depicting a dog was erected at the tomb of Diogenes in Corinth.

Literature

1. “Anthology of Cynicism”; ed. I. M. Nakhova. M.: Nauka, 1984.
2. Diogenes Laertius. "On the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers." M.: Mysl, 1986.
3. Kisil V. Ya., Ribery V. V. Gallery of ancient philosophers; in 2 volumes. M., 2002
4. Nakhov I.M. Cinematic literature. M., 1981
5. Anthology of Cynicism. – Ed. preparation I.M. Nakhov. M., 1996
6. Sayings, quotes and aphorisms of Diogenes

Biography

There were many Diogenes in Greece, but the most famous of them was, of course, the philosopher Diogenes, who lived in the city of Sinope in one of his famous barrels.

He did not immediately reach such a philosophical life. First, Diogenes met with the oracle and the soothsayer advised him: ““Reassess your values!” Diogenes understood this in the literal sense and began minting coins. While busy with this unseemly task, he saw a mouse running across the floor. And Diogenes thought - here is a mouse, she doesn’t care about what to drink, what to eat, what to wear, where to lie down. Looking at the mouse, Diogenes understood the meaning of existence, got himself a staff and a bag and began to walk around the cities and villages of Greece, often visited Corinth and it was there that he settled in a large round clay barrel.

His belongings were small - in his bag there was a bowl, a mug, a spoon. And seeing how the shepherd boy leaned over the stream and drank from his palm, Diogenes threw away the mug. His bag became lighter and soon, noticing the invention of another boy - he poured lentil soup directly into his palm - Diogenes threw away the bowl.

“It’s easy for a philosopher to get rich, but not interesting,” said the Greek sages, and very often treated everyday well-being with undisguised contempt.

One of the seven wise men, Bias from Priene, together with other fellow countrymen, left his hometown taken by the enemy. Everyone carried and carried with them everything they could, and only Biant alone walked lightly, without any belongings.
"Hey, philosopher! Where is your goodness?!" - Laughing, they shouted after him: “Have you really never gained anything in your entire life?”
“I carry everything that’s mine with me!” Biant answered proudly and the scoffers fell silent.

Living in a barrel, Diogenes hardened himself. He also specially hardened himself - in the summer he rolled on the hot sand of the sun, and in the winter he hugged statues covered with snow. The philosopher generally loved to shock his fellow countrymen and, perhaps, that is why so many stories have been preserved about his antics. Even Gogol’s Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov knew one of them.

One day on a holiday, a barefoot man suddenly appears in the market square in a rough cloak over his naked body, with a beggar’s bag, a thick stick and a lantern - he walks and shouts: “I’m looking for a man, I’m looking for a man!!!”

People come running, and Diogenes swings a stick at them: “I called people, not slaves!”

After this incident, ill-wishers asked Diogenes: “Well, did you find the man?” to which Diogenes answered with a sad smile: “I found good children in Sparta, but not a single good husband anywhere.”

Diogenes confused not only the simple Sinopian and Corinthian people, but also his brother philosophers.

They say that once the divine Plato gave a lecture at his Academy and gave the following definition of man: “Man is an animal with two legs, without down or feathers,” and earned universal approval. The resourceful Diogenes, who did not like Plato and his philosophy, plucked a rooster and threw it into the audience shouting: “Here is Plato’s man!”

Most likely this story is an anecdote. But it was obviously invented based on Diogenes’ amazing ability to philosophize through the very action, the very way of life.

Diogenes lived until the time of Alexander the Great and often met with him. Stories about these meetings usually begin with the words: “One day Alexander rode up to Diogenes.” The question is, why would the great Alexander, at whose feet lay several conquered kingdoms, begin to approach the beggar philosopher Diogenes?!

Perhaps they always loved talking about such meetings because a beggar philosopher, prophet or holy fool could and did tell the kings the truth straight to their faces.

So, one day Alexander rode up to Diogenes and said:
- I am Alexander - the great king!
- And I am Diogenes the dog. I wag my tail to those who give to me, I bark at those who refuse, and I bite others.
- Would you like to have lunch with me?
- Unhappy is the one who has breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever Alexander wants.
- Aren’t you afraid of me?
-Are you good or evil?
- Of course - good.
-Who is afraid of good?
- I am the ruler of Macedonia, and soon the whole world. What can I do for you?
- Move a little to the side, you'll block out the sun for me!

Then Alexander rode off to his friends and subjects and said: “If I were not Alexander, I would have become Diogenes.”

Diogenes was often made fun of, he was even beaten, but he was loved. “Have your fellow citizens condemned you to wander?” - the strangers asked him. “No, it was I who condemned them to stay at home,” answered Diogenes.

"Where did you come from?" - the fellow countrymen laughed. "I am a citizen of the world!" - Diogenes answered proudly and, as historians have indeed found out, he was one of the first cosmopolitans. Remember how many times in the history of mankind philosophers were accused of cosmopolitanism and lack of patriotism?! But it is difficult to condemn Diogenes for both. When his hometown was attacked by enemies, the philosopher was not at a loss, rolled out his barrel and started drumming on it. The people ran to the city walls and the city was saved.

And then one day, when the mischievous boys took and broke his barrel, it was made of baked clay, the wise city authorities decided to flog the children so that it would not be common practice, and to give Diogenes a new barrel. Therefore, in the philosophical museum there should be two barrels - one old and broken, and the other new.

Legend says that Diogenes died on the same day as Alexander the Great. Alexander - at the age of thirty-three in distant and alien Babylon, Diogenes - in the eighty-ninth year of his life in his native Corinth on a city wasteland.

And a dispute arose between the few students about who should bury the philosopher. The matter, as usual, was not without a fight. But their fathers and representatives of the authorities came and buried Diogenes near the city gates. A column was erected over the grave, and on it was a dog carved from marble. Later, other compatriots honored Diogenes by erecting bronze monuments to him, on one of which was written:

"Time will age bronze, only Diogenes glory
Eternity itself will surpass itself and will never die!

Literature

1. Gasparov M.L. Entertaining Greece. - M. - 1995.
2. Anthology of cynicism. Fragments of the writings of Cynic thinkers. - M. - 1984.
3. Diogenes Laertius. About the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers. - M. - 1979.
4. Fragments of early Greek philosophers. - M. - 1989.
5. Nakhov I.M. Philosophy of the Cynics. - M. - 1982.
6. Nakhov I.M. Cinematic literature. - M. - 1981.
7. Asmus V.F. History of ancient philosophy. - M. - 1965.
8. Schachermayr F. Alexander the Great. - M. - 1986.

And his student Diogenes of Sinope gave with his life an example of a Cynic sage, which served as a source for many anecdotes associated with Diogenes, which abound in the corresponding chapter in the famous book of Diogenes Laertius. It was Diogenes who reduced his needs to the extreme, tempered himself by subjecting his body to tests. For example, in the summer he lay down on the hot sand, and in the winter he hugged statues covered with snow. He lived in a large clay round barrel (pithos). Seeing one boy drinking water from a handful, and another eating lentil soup from a piece of eaten bread, Diogenes threw away both the cup and the bowl. He accustomed himself not only to physical deprivation, but also to moral humiliation. He asked for alms from the statues in order to accustom himself to refusals, because people give to the lame and the poor and do not give to philosophers, because they know that they can still become lame and beggars, but never wise men. Diogenes brought his teacher Antisthenes's contempt for pleasure to its climax. He said that he “would prefer madness to pleasure.” Diogenes found pleasure in the very contempt of pleasure. He taught the poor and downtrodden to counter the contempt of the rich and noble with contempt for what they value, without calling on them to follow his way of life with its extremes and extravagances. But only by excessive example can people be taught to observe moderation. He said that he takes an example from singing teachers, who deliberately sing in a higher tone so that the students understand in what tone they themselves need to sing.

Diogenes in his barrel. Painting by J. L. Jerome, 1860

Diogenes himself, in his oversimplification, reached the point of complete shamelessness; he challenged society, refusing to observe all the rules of decency, thereby incurring a hail of ridicule and provocative antics, to which he always responded with extraordinary resourcefulness and accuracy, confusing those who wanted to embarrass him. . When bones were thrown at him, who called himself a dog, at one dinner, he walked up to them and urinated on them. To the question: if he is a dog, what breed? - Diogenes calmly answered that when he is hungry, he is of the Maltese breed (i.e., affectionate), and when he is full, he is of the Milian breed (i.e., ferocious).

With his behavior that went beyond all limits of what was permitted, Diogenes emphasized the superiority of the sage over ordinary people who deserve only contempt. 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. Another time, in daylight, he was looking for a person with a lit lantern. In fact, so-called people compete to see who will push whom into the ditch (a type of competition), but no one competes in the art of being beautiful and kind. In his contempt for people, Diogenes made no exception for either priests or kings. When Alexander the Great once approached him and said: “I am the great King Alexander,” Diogenes, not at all embarrassed, replied: “And I am the dog Diogenes.” When another time Alexander the Great, approaching Diogenes, who was basking in the sun, invited him to ask him for what he wanted, Diogenes replied: “Do not block the sun for me.” All this allegedly made such a great impression on the Macedonian king that he said that if he were not Alexander the King, he would like to be Diogenes.

Alexander the Great shows respect to Diogenes. Painting by J. Regnault

Having become a slave of a certain Xeniades (Diogenes was captured by pirates and sold into slavery), the philosopher applied an excellent system of education to the children of his master, accustoming them to modest food and water, to simplicity in clothing, engaging in physical exercises with them, but only to the extent how necessary it is for health; he taught them knowledge, giving them basic information in a short form for ease of memorization and teaching them to memorize pieces from the works of poets, mentors and Diogenes himself. Slavery did not humiliate Diogenes. Refusing to be redeemed from slavery by his disciples, he wanted to show that a Cynic philosopher, even being a slave, could become the master of his master - a slave of his passions and public opinion. When he was being sold in Crete, he asked a herald to announce if anyone wanted to buy the owner for themselves.

Diogenes placed philosophy above all forms of culture. He himself had an amazing power of persuasion; no one could resist his arguments. However, in philosophy, Diogenes recognized only its moral and practical side. He philosophized his way of life, which he considered the best, freeing a person from all conventions, attachments and even almost all needs. To the man who said that he did not care about philosophy, Diogenes objected: “Why do you live if you do not care to live well?” Diogenes surpassed Antisthenes in transforming philosophy into practical science. If philosophy gave Antisthenes, in his words, “the ability to talk with oneself,” then philosophy gave Diogenes “at least a readiness for any turn of fate.”

At the same time, Diogenes was interested in theoretical philosophy and expressed his negative attitude towards both the idealism of Plato and the metaphysics (as anti-dialectics) of Zeno, both in words and actions. When someone argued that movement does not exist, Diogenes stood up and began to walk. When Plato was talking about ideas and coming up with names for “capacity” and “cupness,” Diogenes said that he saw a table and a cup, but did not see a table and a bowl. Diogenes systematically mocked Plato, calling his eloquence empty talk, reproaching him for vanity and for groveling before the powers that be. For his part, Plato, who did not like Diogenes, called him a dog and accused him of vanity and lack of reason. When Diogenes stood naked in the rain, Plato said to those who wanted to take the Cynic away: “If you want to pity him, step aside,” referring to his vanity. (In the same way, Socrates once said to Antisthenes, who was showing off a hole in his cloak: “Your vanity is visible through this cloak!”) Diogenes’ words that he does not see either the cup or the table, Plato countered with the words: “To see the table and the cup, you have eyes, but to see the abundance and the cup, you have no mind.” Plato called Diogenes "the mad Socrates."

Rejecting all types of social inequality between people, without denying, however, slavery, ridiculing noble origin, fame, wealth, Diogenes denied both the family and the state. He considered the whole world to be the only true state and called himself a “citizen of the world.” He said that wives should be common. When a certain tyrant asked him which copper was best suited for statues, Diogenes answered: “The one from which Harmodius and Aristogeiton were cast” (the famous Athenian tyrannicides). Diogenes died at ninety years of age, holding his breath. His gravestone featured a dog. His works have not reached us.

As a collective image of the Cynic, Diogenes was derived from Luciana. There Diogenes says to his interlocutor: “You see before you a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world... I am fighting... 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.” Next it says what will happen to his interlocutor if he wants to be a Cynic: “First of all, I will take away the effeminacy from you... I will force you to work, sleep on the bare ground, drink water and eat anything. You will throw your wealth into the sea. You will not care about marriage, or about children, or about the fatherland... Let your knapsack be full of beans and packages, written on both sides. Leading such a lifestyle, you will call yourself happier than the great king... erase the ability to blush from your face forever... In front of everyone, boldly do what someone else would not do on the sidelines.”

People's lives are filled with a wide variety of conventions and excesses. Man has forgotten his true nature and surrounded himself with absolutely unnecessary things. As a result of this, he entangled himself with thousands of norms, laws, and some rules. All this makes his life difficult and vain. Philosophers have always opposed this state of affairs. They urged people to abandon excesses and appreciate simple earthly joys. The very first who tried to show a true and correct life by personal example was Diogenes.

This is an ancient Greek sage who lived in 412-323 BC. e. He did not leave any writings or philosophical works. The memory of him was preserved only thanks to the stories of his contemporaries. All these stories were collected and systematized by the historian of philosophy Diogenes Laertius. And the founder of botany and zoology, the ancient Greek philosopher Theophastus, argued that insight came to Diogenes when, while still very young, he looked at a mouse running by. The future sage thought that the animal does not need bedding, is not afraid of the dark, and does not seek unnecessary pleasures. He behaves completely naturally. So why can't a person live exactly the same way?

Thus was born the philosophy of Diogenes. All his life the sage was content with little, the most necessary for life. The philosopher used his cloak not only to wear it, but also to sleep on it. He carried food in his bag, and any place was suitable for him to eat, sleep and talk. This amazing man built his home in a clay barrel. In Ancient Greece it was called "pithos" and was a clay vessel the size of a man. Grain, oil, and wine were stored in such large vessels. Well, our hero used it for housing.

The philosopher regularly tempered his body. In the summer he lay on the hot sand, and in the winter he snuggled up to marble statues covered with snow. Both in summer and winter he walked barefoot. Living in a barrel, the sage had nothing but a cup and bowl. But one day he saw the boy cup his hands into a handful and begin to drink water from the source.

Our hero exclaimed: “The boy turned out to be wiser than me, since he surpassed me in the simplicity and naturalness of life.” The cup was thrown away, and then it was the turn of the bowls, when another boy, in front of the philosopher’s eyes, began to eat lentil stew, pouring it into the crust of the bread.

The philosophy of Diogenes opposed reason to passions, and the laws of nature to judicial laws.. The sage often said that the gods gave people a very easy life. But they complicated it many times over, entangling themselves with far-fetched conventions and norms.

One day the philosopher caught the eye of a man who was being shoed by his slave. Looking at this, our hero remarked: “You would be immensely happy if they also wiped you. So cut off your hands, and then complete happiness will come.”

The sage approached the statues and asked them for alms. He was asked why he was doing this. And he replied: “I do this in order to accustom myself to refusal.” At the same time, he asked people for alms if he was hungry. One day, one of the passers-by asked why he should serve it to him. To which I received the answer: “If you give to others, then it will not be difficult for you to give to me. If you have never given before, then start with me.”

Once our hero was sitting in the square and talking about important things. But people did not listen to him and walked past. Then the philosopher began to imitate various bird voices. A crowd immediately gathered, and the sage began to shame her. He reproached people that for the sake of trifles they run away, abandoning everything, but for the sake of important things they do not want to stop and pass by.

He said that a person loves to compete with his own kind in the most unsightly matters, but never competes in the art of goodness and helping others. The sage was surprised that musicians tune the strings of the lyre, but cannot tune peace and tranquility in their souls. Rhetors teach to speak correctly, but are not able to teach to act correctly. People make sacrifices to the gods and ask for health and long life. But then they sit down at the banquet table and overeat to the detriment of their health.

The philosophy of Diogenes taught people simplicity, naturalness and harmony with the world around them. But few of the sage’s contemporaries followed his example. He died in the same year as Alexander the Great. They say that even in one day. This is very symbolic, since the great conqueror sought to enjoy all the blessings of life, and our hero called for completely abandoning them. The two extremes disappeared in one day, leaving people with a choice. But they chose not a philosopher, but a conqueror. Until today, humanity has not reconsidered its views, and therefore is steadily heading towards destruction.

Valery Krapivin

Diogenes of Sinope (c. 404 - c. 323 BC) - ancient Greek philosopher, student and follower of Antisthenes. The sphere of philosophical interests were aspects of moral and ethical relations, interpreted by Diogenes of Sinope in the spirit of cynicism, and of an extremely rigoristic sense. Due to the large number of contradictory descriptions and doxographies, the figure of Diogenes of Sinope appears today in an excessively transformed form. The works attributed to him that have survived to this day were most likely created by followers and belong to a later period; information has also been preserved about the existence of at least five Diogenes, dating back to the same historical period.

All this significantly complicates the systematic organization of information about Diogenes of Sinope. Due to the widespread negative attitude towards the Cynics, the name of Diogenes of Sinope was often transferred from anecdotes and legends, in which it belonged to the ambivalent figure of a trickster-sage and integrated extensive fiction into the critical works of other philosophers (Aristotle, Diogenes Laertius, F. Sayer).

On the basis of anecdotes and parables, even an entire literary tradition of antiquity arose, embodied in the genres of apothegmata and chrys (Metroclus, Dion Chrysostom, etc.). The most famous story is about Diogenes of Sinope, who during the day with a lantern was looking for an honest man. (The same story was told about Aesop, Heraclitus, Democritus, Archilochus, etc.)

The main source of information about Diogenes of Sinope is the “Lives and Opinions” of Diogenes Laertius. Claiming the unsystematic views and the general absence of the teachings of Diogenes of Sinope, Diogenes Laertius nevertheless reports, referring to Sotion, about 14 works of Diogenes of Sinope, including both philosophical works ("On Virtue", "On the Good", etc.), and and several tragedies.

Having turned to the vast number of Cynic doxographies, one can come to the conclusion about the existence of a completely developed system of views of Diogenes of Sinope. According to these testimonies, he, preaching an ascetic lifestyle, despised luxury, was content with the dress of a tramp, using a wine barrel for his home, and in his means of expression he was often so straightforward and rude that he earned himself the names “Dog” and “crazy Socrates.”

There is no doubt that Diogenes of Sinope. and in his conversations and in everyday life he often behaved as a marginal subject, shocking this or that audience not so much with the goal of insulting or humiliating it, but rather out of the need to pay attention to the foundations of society, religious norms, the institution of marriage, etc. He asserted the primacy of virtue over the laws of society, rejected faith in gods established by religious institutions, and considered civilization a false invention of demagogues.

He promoted the relativity of generally accepted moral norms, the relativity of authorities not only among politicians, but also among philosophers. Thus, his relationship with Plato, whom he considered a chatterbox (Diogenes Laertius), is well known. It is quite legitimate to assert that his negative actions towards society were deliberately exaggerated in the subsequent tradition. Therefore, the entire history of the life and work of this thinker appears as a myth created by many historians and philosophers. It is difficult to find unambiguous information even of a biographical nature. So, for example, according to the testimony of Demetrius of Phalerum, the day of the death of Diogenes of Sinope coincides with the day of the death of Alexander the Great. Thanks to his originality, Diogenes of Sinope is one of the most prominent representatives of antiquity, and the Cynic paradigm he set later had a serious influence on a variety of philosophical concepts.

There were many Diogenes in Greece, but the most famous of them was, of course, the philosopher Diogenes, who lived in the city of Sinope in one of his famous barrels.

His belongings were small - in his bag there was a bowl, a mug, a spoon. And seeing how the shepherd boy leaned over the stream and drank from his palm, Diogenes threw away the mug. His bag became lighter and soon, noticing the invention of another boy - he poured lentil soup directly into his palm - Diogenes threw away the bowl.

“It’s easy for a philosopher to get rich, but not interesting,” said the Greek sages and very often treated everyday well-being with undisguised contempt.

One of the seven wise men, Biant from Priene, together with other fellow countrymen, left his hometown taken by the enemy. Everyone carried and carried with them everything they could, and only Biant alone walked lightly, without any belongings.

"Hey, philosopher! Where is your goodness?! - Laughing, they shouted after him: “Have you really never gained anything in your entire life?”

"I carry everything that's mine with me! "- Biant answered proudly and the scoffers fell silent.

People come running, and Diogenes swings a stick at them: “I called people, not slaves!”

After this incident, ill-wishers asked Diogenes: “Well, did you find a man?” to which Diogenes answered with a sad smile: “I found good children in Sparta, but not a single good husband anywhere.”

Diogenes confused not only the simple Sinopian and Corinthian people, but also his brother philosophers.

Most likely this story is an anecdote. But it was obviously invented based on Diogenes’ amazing ability to philosophize through the very action, the very way of life.

Diogenes lived until the time of Alexander the Great and often met with him. Stories about these meetings usually begin with the words: “Once Alexander drove up to Diogenes.” The question arises, why would the great Alexander, at whose feet lay several conquered kingdoms, begin to drive up to the beggar philosopher Diogenes?!

Perhaps they always loved talking about such meetings because a beggar philosopher, prophet or holy fool could and did tell the kings the truth straight to their faces.

So, one day Alexander rode up to Diogenes and said:

I am Alexander - the great king!

And I am Diogenes the dog. I wag my tail to those who give to me, I bark at those who refuse, and I bite others.

Would you like to have lunch with me?

And then one day, when the mischievous boys took and broke his barrel, it was made of baked clay, the wise city authorities decided to flog the children so that they would be disgraceful, and to give Diogenes a new barrel. Therefore, in the philosophical museum there should be two barrels - one old and broken, and the other new.

"Time will age bronze, only Diogenes glory

Eternity will surpass itself and will never die!

The Rise of Cynicism

Diogenes of Sinope became a symbol of the Cynic movement. Diogenes was an older contemporary of Alexander. One source says that he died in Corinth on the same day as Alexander in Babylon.

Diogenes surpassed the fame of his teacher Antisthenes. This was a young man from Sinope on the Euxine, whom Antisthenes disliked at first sight; he was the son of a money changer with a dubious reputation, who was in prison for damaging a coin. Antisthenes drove the young man away, but he did not pay attention to it. Antisthenes beat him with a stick, but he did not budge. He needed "wisdom", and he believed that Antisthenes should give it to him. His goal in life was to do what his father did - “spoil the coin,” but on a much larger scale. He would like to spoil all the “coin” available in the world. Any accepted stamp is false, false. People with the stamp of generals and kings, things with the stamp of honor and wisdom, happiness and wealth - all these were base metals with a false inscription.

Diogenes decided to live like a dog, and therefore he was called "cynic", which means canine (another version of the origin of the name of the school). He rejected all conventions concerning religion, manners, clothing, housing, food, and decency. They say that he lived in a barrel, but Gilbert Murray assures that this is a mistake: it was a huge jug, such as were used in primitive times for burials. He lived like an Indian fakir, by alms. He declares his brotherhood not only with the entire human race, but also with animals. He was a man about whom stories were collected during his lifetime. It is widely known that Alexander visited him and asked if he wanted any favor. “Just don’t block my light,” Diogenes replied.

Diogenes' teaching was in no way what we now call "cynical", quite the contrary. He ardently strived for “virtue,” in comparison with which, as he argued, all earthly goods are worthless. He sought virtue and moral freedom in freedom from desire: be indifferent to the blessings that fortune has bestowed upon you, and you will be free from fear. Diogenes believed that Prometheus was rightly punished for bringing to man the arts that gave rise to the complexity and artificiality of modern life.

Diogenes not only strengthened the extremism of Antisthenes, but created a new ideal of life of extraordinary severity, which became paradigmatic for centuries.

One phrase can express the entire program of this philosopher: “I am looking for a person,” which he repeated with a lantern in his hands among the crowd and in broad daylight, provoking an ironic reaction. I'm looking for a man who lives in accordance with his purpose. I am looking for a person who is above everything external, above social prejudices, above even the whims of fate, who knows and knows how to find his own and unique nature, with which he agrees, and, therefore, he is happy.

“The Cynic Diogenes,” an ancient source testifies, “repeated that the gods gave people the means to live, but they were mistaken about these people.” Diogenes saw his task as showing that a person always has everything at his disposal to be happy if he understands the requirements of his nature.

In this context, his statements about the uselessness of mathematics, physics, astronomy, music, and the absurdity of metaphysical constructions are understandable. Cynicism has become the most anti-cultural phenomenon of all the philosophical movements of Greece and the West in general. One of the most extreme conclusions was that the most essential needs of man are those of animals.

Only the one who is free from the greatest number of needs is free. The Cynics tirelessly insisted on freedom, losing their measure. In the face of the almighty, they were bordering on recklessness in defending freedom of speech." parrhesia". "Anaideia", freedom of action, was intended to show all the unnaturalness of the behavior of the Greeks. In one luxurious house, in response to a request to maintain order, Diogenes spat in the owner’s face, noting that he had not seen a more nasty place.

Diogenes defines the method and path leading to freedom and virtues with the concepts of “asceticism,” “effort,” and “hard work.” Training the soul and body to the point of readiness to withstand the adversity of the elements, the ability to dominate lusts, moreover, contempt for pleasures are the fundamental values of the Cynics, for pleasures not only relax the body and soul, but seriously threaten freedom, making a person a slave to his affections. For the same reason, marriage was also condemned in favor of free cohabitation between a man and a woman. However, the Cynic is also outside the state, his fatherland is the whole world. "Autarky", i.e. self-sufficiency, apathy and indifference to everything are the ideals of cynic life.