The group of philosophers associated with the cynicism became known for his behavior, thus establishing a perspective ethic. They believed that happiness would be related to a simple life in accordance with nature, and without the complexities of social rules and values. Cynics were, then, people who they despised the social orders and they lived in circumstances considered degrading to a Greek, resembling animals.
Despite criticisms of the lifestyle of these philosophers, their behavior had philosophical motivation. Conducting one's life according to what was believed was a valued position in the Greek culture of Antique, and the behavior of cynical philosophers pointed to a philosophical distinction between natural aspects (physis) and human customs (names), a problem that permeated all of ancient Greek philosophical thought.
See too: Ancient skepticism - doctrine aimed at suspending judgment on things
Origin and main thinkers of Cynicism
Cynicism was a movement started in the mid-century. IV a. Ç
. and that lasted until the middle of the century. IV, with some adherents in the Roman Empire. Antisthenes of Athens and Diogenes of Sinope were the first Cynics. Brief accounts of these thinkers survive in later writings and consist practically of peculiarities about their behavior, which leads to many questions about their veracity.Antisthenes he was a disciple of sophist Gorgias, which explains the large amount of texts in rhetorical style attributed to him, and already taught in Athens before meeting Socrates. Impressed by the way this philosopher lived based on his thinking, he emphasized action and moved away from the valued customs of his time.
When developing his thinking, he valued independence from external goods (reputation, family, property) and self-control, approaching an ascetic conduct. He would have said that the best learning anyone can have is to unlearn what is fundamental.
Certainly the best known cynic is Diogenes. It is not certain that he was a disciple of Antisthenes, but his criticism of society certainly encouraged his contempt for the customs and virtues appreciated in Ancient Greece. He mocked and ridiculed people in their daily habits and those who considered themselves wise.
He boldly adopted the natural aspects of the human being as a model of virtuous life. Ancient texts report that he observed animals, having stated that we could learn from rats, and that his behavior was like that of an animal, because decided to live on the streets, without maintaining hygiene and eating with their hands, begging often. The cynics' way of life is even related to the etymology of a Greek word for "dog", namely: kynikos.
![Diogenes “searched for human beings” with a lamp, in broad daylight, as a critique of the artificiality of customs in society. [1]](/f/b5551e70fe1b0ee2371fb0f893e06f14.jpg)
Crates, from Thebes, also adopted the model of life of the cynics and lived on the streets of Athens after distributing his inheritance. There is not much information about his life, but there are reports that Zenobecame his disciple because they said he was like Socrates. It is possible that Zeno, described as a calm and thoughtful person, did not agree with the extravagances that the behavior of cynics provoked in public settings. After detaching himself from this cynical thinker, he had other masters before developing the stoicism, a school of thought that adopted indifference as an ethical perspective.
These philosophers stood out for their appearance, because they walked barefoot and often wore a kind of blanket to cover their bodies. The stubbornness with which they maintained their habits was considered by them as a virtue, which some related to the myth of the “choice of Hercules”—to him, in his youth, while thinking about how his life should be, he was offered a life full of pleasures and lacking in worries, however he would have chosen the painful option, but with wisdom and courage to face the difficulties, because that would be life virtuous.
Read too: Moral values and their importance to society
The legacy of the cynics
The Cynics' way of life also influenced people in the early Roman Empire. There is information that some of them tried to imitate Diogenes in the streets of the cities, but many no longer maintained the initial motivation of this philosopher. Among the true cynics of this period, stands out Demetrium, which was close to Seneca. This Stoic wrote much about it, as he admired its incorruptibility.
O antisocial positioning that the cynical model of life demanded provoked a lot of criticism to these philosophers, generally directed to Diogenes, still in Ancient Greece. With the arrival of the movement in the cities that made up the Roman Empire, it was questioned that the imitation of behavior no longer represented the precepts that gave rise to the movement, as it did flavio juliano.
in your work God's city, Saint Augustine he made a similar criticism, mentioning that few were like the ancient Cynics, despite a certain identification with ideals, for he no longer dared to violate the more modest instincts of the human being.
Summary
Cynics were philosophers who repudiated ancient Greek customs and values.
Cynics believed that virtue lay in accepting the consequences of an unpossessed and unpretentious life.
Cynics demonstrated their ideals in actions and belittled theoretical knowledge.
Cynics were criticized for their obscene and unrestrained behavior in public places.
The word “cynic” originates from a Greek word that refers to “dog”.
Diogenes is the main representative of Cynicism.
Image credit
[1] Bilal Kocabas / Shutterstock
By Marco Oliveira
Philosophy teacher