키니코스 학파 - 나무위키 Cynicism (philosophy)

키니코스 학파 - 나무위키

키니코스 학파

최근 수정 시각: 2022-11-16    

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1. 개요2. 사상3. 대표 철학자

1. 개요[편집]

소크라테스의 제자인 안티스테네스가 만든 고대 그리스 철학의 한 학파. 어원인 '키니코스(Κυνικοί)'가 '개(Κύνος)'에서 유래하였기에 견유학파(犬儒學派)라고도 한다. 영어로는 'Cynics' 또는 'Cynicism'으로 냉소적이라는 의미의 'cynical'과 어원이 같다.

2. 사상[편집]

부, 명예, 정치, 종교, 문화, 예술과 같은 외적인 요소에서 벗어나 자연 속에서 주어진 것에 만족하며 살아가는 소박한 삶을 추구한다. 금욕주의를 추구하는 스토아 학파에 앞서 쾌락를 멀리하고 무욕(無慾) 정신을 추구하였다.

소크라테스의 영향으로 덕(德)을 중시하여 신체적·정신적 단련을 중시하였고, 고대 헬레니즘 세계를 여행하며 사상을 전파하기도 했다. 이들은 그리스인과 이방인을 구분하지 않고 자신을 세계 시민(cosmopolitan)으로 소개하곤 했다.

무위자연(無爲自然)을 추구하는 점이 동양 철학 도가의 노장사상과도 비슷하다.

3. 대표 철학자[편집]

• 안티스테네스: 소크라테스의 제자. 키니코스 학파를 창시했다.
• 디오게네스: 안티스테네스의 제자. 문명을 거부하고 길거리 나무통에서 살며 무소유를 실천했다. 알렉산더 대왕이 "원하는 것이 무엇이냐?" 묻자 "햇볕을 가리지 말아 주시오."라고 대답한 일화가 유명하다. 디오게네스 라에르티오스가 전하는 일화에 의하면, 말 그대로 시니컬한 사람이었던 것 같다.

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[English for the Soul] Cynicism / 견유학파(犬儒學派)

2019-02-01 (금) 최정화 [커뮤니케이션 학 박사/영어서원 백운재 대표]

작게크게

It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.

내가 미쳤다는 게 아니라, 다만 내 두뇌가 그대들의 두뇌와는 다르다는 것일 뿐.

먹을 땐 먹고 잘 땐 자는 말티즈(Maltese) 강아지. 하릴없이 먹고 자는 어엿한 견공(犬公). 지금 책상 옆에 드러누워 늘어지게 낮잠을 즐기는 녀석을 보니 '견유학파'(犬儒學派) 생각이 드네요.

구름잡는 소리로 겉뇌를 자극하는 얄팍한 철학이 아니라, 거침없이 세상을 비웃으며 감히 '개처럼 사는' 개똥철학이 바로 '견유학파'(犬儒學派)! 한자로 풀면 '개 선비' 학파? '개 견' 플러스 '선비 유'를 학파라 칭하니 바로 '개같은 선비들 학파'가 되질 않는가. 머리 굴리며 글줄 써내려가는 인간 바로 곁에서 그저 늘어지게 자고 있는 말티즈 견유(犬儒)?

남 얘기가 아닙니다. 고대 그리스의 철학자 디오게네스, 그가 바로 견유(犬儒) 중 진짜 견유, '개 선비 중 진짜 개 선비'로서 한껏 키니코스 학파(견유학파)를 세간에 유명하게 만든 장본인! 그저 '개같이' 살 뿐으로 역사상 저명한 철인 반열에 든 디오게네스. 그저 늘 개처럼 살며 그는 말합니다. 내가 뭐 딱히 미친 게 아니지. 다만 그대들의 두뇌론 이해가 되지 않을 뿐!

It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.

내가 미쳤다는 게 아니라, 다만 내 두뇌가 그대들의 두뇌와는 다르다는 것일 뿐.

"If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes." "알렉산더가 아녔다면, 디오게네스였길 바라겠네." 다름아닌 알렉산더 대왕의 탄식! 세상의 돈과 명예에 철저히 무관심했던 '개 선비' 디오게네스. 그에게 일부러 찾아온 황제 왈: “뭔가 해 드릴 게 없겠소?” 나무통 속에 드러누운 디오게네스 가라사대: "Yes, stand out of my sunlight." 있소, 내 햇빛 가리지 말고 비켜 서시오.

벌거 벗고 니무 통 속에 살며 그저 '개처럼' 스스로 자족하는 청빈의 삶을 누렸던 디오게네스. 좋은 말로 '견유학파'(犬儒學派)지, 그 실상은 세상 사람들이 참고 보아 줄 만한 경계를 훨씬 넘었다는데 … 거지로 살며 개처럼 떠돌고, 주는 대로 먹고 마시며 여기저기 배설 해대고, 심지어 시장 바닥 한 가운데에서 남들 다 보는데 마스터베이션[masturbation]도 서슴치 않던 그런 광인을, 알렉산더 대왕도 존경했더라?

깨친 고승들의 천방지축 무애행(無碍行)이란 것도 정작 디오게네스의 광기(狂氣)에 비하면 그야말로 새 발의 피? '키니코스 학파'니 '견유학파'니 말은 그럴 듯 해도, 하는 짓이나 행동거지를 보면 그야말로 개보다 못한 ‘개 선비’ 개똥철학꾼들의 모임? 그럼에도 '뼈대있는 철학'으로 떡 하니 자리매김 한 까닭은? 장삼이사의 두뇌로는 감(感)잡기 어려운 은밀한 덕(德) 때문!

It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.

내가 미쳤다는 게 아니라, 다만 내 두뇌가 그대들의 두뇌와는 다르다는 것일 뿐.

흔히 "씨~니씨즘"[cynicism]하면, 그저 냉소주의 정도로 이해하지만, 실상 그 비꼬는 '냉소'(冷笑)의 근저에 도사린 견유(犬儒)주의는 바로 '개 선비'들의 철저한 무착(無着) 정신. 그 어느 것에도 결코 집착하지 않는다는 올곧음. 그리고, 언제 어느 상황에서도 결코 구부러지지 않는다는 옹고집.

가볍게 코를 골며 옆에서 곤하게 자는 말티즈 견공을 바라보며 견유학파(犬儒學派)의 정신을 곱씹어 봅니다. 맞아, '키니코스'란 말 자체가 ‘개와 같은 생활(kynicos bios)’이란 뜻에서 유래했다지. 하긴, 개처럼 사는 게 그리 쉬운 일이겠는가. 매사에 '남세스러워'하는 게 세상살이. 아무나 견유(犬儒)로 살 순 없는 법! 적어도 우리집 말티즈 견공 정도라야 견유(犬儒)로 사는 법. 어찌 사람의 뇌로 이해할 수 있으랴.

Cheers!

<최정화 [커뮤니케이션 학 박사/영어서원 백운재 대표]>

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키니코스 학파

57개 언어

• 문서
• 토론

• 읽기
• 편집
• 역사 보기

위키백과, 우리 모두의 백과사전.

이 문서의 내용은 출처가 분명하지 않습니다. 이 문서를 편집하여, 신뢰할 수 있는 출처를 표기해 주세요. 검증되지 않은 내용은 삭제될 수도 있습니다. 내용에 대한 의견은 토론 문서에서 나누어 주세요. (2010년 11월)

어떤 견유 철학자상. 로마시대. 로마 카피톨리네 박물관 소장. 오른손에 있는 두루마리는 18세기에 만든 것이다. 아마도 지팡이를 짚고 있었을 것이다.

키니코스 학파(고대 그리스어: κυνισμός 키니스코스^[*], 라틴어: Cynici) 또는 견유학파(犬儒學派)는 자연과 일치된, 자연스러운 삶을 추구하는 그리스 운동, 또는 이를 따르는 철학자들을 말한다. "견유"라고 번역된 이름은 그리스어로 개를 의미하는 "Κύνος에서 왔다.

초기 역사[편집]

안티스테네스 (기원전 444년-365년경)[편집]

 이 부분의 본문은 안티스테네스입니다.

견유 운동의 역사는 안티스테네스에서부터 시작한다. 그는 소크라테스의 가장 중요한 제자 중의 하나였다. 안티스테네스는 다음과 같이 말했다.

"나는 내가 배고프지 않을 만큼, 목마르지 않을 만큼 가졌다. 벗지 않을 만큼 입었다. 밖에 있을 때는 저 부자 칼리아스보다도 더 떨지 않고 안락하다. 안에 있을 때는 따듯한데 왜 옷이 필요한가?"

시노페의 디오게네스 (기원전 412-323년경)[편집]

 이 부분의 본문은 시노페의 디오게네스입니다.

견유 운동의 가장 대표적인 인물은 시노페의 디오게네스이다. 원래는 고향에서 위조 동전을 가려내어 폭로하여 곤란을 겪게 된 아버지와 같이 아테네에 도망왔다. ("돈을 훼손하다"는 말은 나중에 디오게네스의 삶을 묘사하는 대표적인 관용구가 된다.) 전승에 의하면 디오게네스는 안티스테네스의 제자가 되지만, 사실 그들이 만났다는 근거조차 없다. 사실은 디오게네스가 안티스테네스의 가르침을 받아들이고 그러한 삶--- 자족(아우타케이아), 절약(아스키시스), 부끄럼없음(아나이데이아)---을 수행하게 되었다고 보는 것이 옳다. 그의 수행에는 많은 기막힌 일화가 전해진다. 예를 들면 길에서 자거나 날고기를 먹는 것 등이었다. 이들 중 어떤 것이 진짜인지는 알 길이 없으나, 그의 윤리적인 진지함을 포함하는 사람의 됨됨이를 엿볼 수는 있다. 그는 나중에 "개(Greek: κύων, cyon)"로 알려지게 되며, 견유라는 말도 여기에서 왔다고 보인다.

외부 링크[편집]

위키미디어 공용에 관련된 미디어 분류가 있습니다. 키니코스 학파

• (영어) 키니코스 학파 - 인터넷 철학 백과사전

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Cynicism (philosophy)

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For modern use of the word for distrust of others' motives, see Cynicism (contemporary).

Statue of an unknown Cynic philosopher from the Capitoline Museums in Rome. This statue is a Roman-era copy of an earlier Greek statue from the third century BC.^[1] The scroll in his right hand is an 18th-century restoration.

Cynicism (Ancient Greek: κυνισμός) is a school of thought of ancient Greek philosophy as practiced by the Cynics (Ancient Greek: Κυνικοί; Latin: Cynici). For the Cynics, the purpose of life is to live in virtue, in agreement with nature. As reasoning creatures, people can gain happiness by rigorous training and by living in a way which is natural for themselves, rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, and fame, and even flouting conventions openly and derisively in public. Instead, they were to lead a simple life free from all possessions.

The first philosopher to outline these themes was Antisthenes, who had been a pupil of Socrates in the late 400 BC. He was followed by Diogenes, who lived in a ceramic jar on the streets of Athens.^[2] Diogenes took Cynicism to its logical extremes, and came to be seen as the archetypal Cynic philosopher. He was followed by Crates of Thebes, who gave away a large fortune so he could live a life of Cynic poverty in Athens.

Cynicism gradually declined in importance after the 3rd century BC,^[3] but it experienced a revival with the rise of the Roman Empire in the 1st century. Cynics could be found begging and preaching throughout the cities of the empire, and similar ascetic and rhetorical ideas appeared in early Christianity. By the 19th century, emphasis on the negative aspects of Cynic philosophy led to the modern understanding of cynicism to mean a disposition of disbelief in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions.

Contents

• 1Origin of the Cynic name
• 2Philosophy
• 3History of Cynicism
  • 3.1Influences
  • 3.2Symbolisms
  • 3.3Antisthenes
  • 3.4Diogenes of Sinope
  • 3.5Crates of Thebes
  • 3.6Other Cynics
• 4Cynicism in the Roman world
• 5Cynicism and Christianity
  • 5.1Jesus as a Jewish Cynic
  • 5.2Cynic influences on early Christianity
• 6See also
• 7Notes
• 8References
• 9Further reading
  • 9.1Primary sources
  • 9.2Secondary sources
• 10External links

Origin of the Cynic name[edit]

The term cynic derives from Ancient Greek κυνικός (kynikos) 'dog-like', and κύων (kyôn) 'dog' (genitive: kynos).^[4] One explanation offered in ancient times for why the Cynics were called "dogs" was because the first Cynic, Antisthenes, taught in the Cynosarges gymnasium at Athens.^[5] The word cynosarges means the "place of the white dog". It seems certain, however, that the word dog was also thrown at the first Cynics as an insult for their shameless rejection of conventional manners, and their decision to live on the streets. Diogenes, in particular, was referred to as the "Dog",^[6] a distinction he seems to have revelled in, stating that "other dogs bite their enemies, I bite my friends to save them."^[7] Later Cynics also sought to turn the word to their advantage, as a later commentator explained:

There are four reasons why the Cynics are so named. First because of the indifference of their way of life, for they make a cult of indifference and, like dogs, eat and make love in public, go barefoot, and sleep in tubs and at crossroads. The second reason is that the dog is a shameless animal, and they make a cult of shamelessness, not as being beneath modesty, but as superior to it. The third reason is that the dog is a good guard, and they guard the tenets of their philosophy. The fourth reason is that the dog is a discriminating animal which can distinguish between its friends and enemies. So do they recognize as friends those who are suited to philosophy, and receive them kindly, while those unfitted they drive away, like dogs, by barking at them.^[8]

Philosophy[edit]

Cynicism is one of the most striking of all the Hellenistic philosophies.^[9] It claimed to offer people the possibility of happiness and freedom from suffering in an age of uncertainty. Although there was never an official Cynic doctrine, the fundamental principles of Cynicism can be summarized as follows:^[10][11][12]

• The goal of life is eudaimonia and mental clarity or lucidity (ἁτυφια)—literally "freedom from smoke (τύφος)" which signified false belief, mindlessness, folly, and conceit.
• Eudaimonia is achieved by living in accord with Nature as understood by human reason.
• Arrogance (τύφος) is caused by false judgments of value, which cause negative emotions, unnatural desires, and a vicious character.
• Eudaimonia, or human flourishing, depends on self-sufficiency (αὐτάρκεια), equanimity, arete, love of humanity, parrhesia, and indifference to the vicissitudes of life (adiaphora ἁδιαφορία).^[12]
• One progresses towards flourishing and clarity through ascetic practices (ἄσκησις) which help one become free from influences such as wealth, fame, and power that have no value in Nature. Instead they promoted living a life of ponos. For the Cynics, this did not seem to mean actual physical work. Diogenes of Sinope, for example, lived by begging, not by doing manual labor. Rather, it means deliberately choosing a hard life—for instance, wearing only a thin cloak and going barefoot in winter.^[13]
• A Cynic practices shamelessness or impudence (Αναιδεια) and defaces the nomos of society: the laws, customs, and social conventions that people take for granted.

The Cynics adopted Heracles, shown here in this gilded bronze statue from the second century CE, as their patron hero.^[14][15]

Thus a Cynic has no property and rejects all conventional values of money, fame, power and reputation.^[10] A life lived according to nature requires only the bare necessities required for existence, and one can become free by unshackling oneself from any needs which are the result of convention.^[16] The Cynics adopted Heracles as their hero, as epitomizing the ideal Cynic.^[14] Heracles "was he who brought Cerberus, the hound of Hades, from the underworld, a point of special appeal to the dog-man, Diogenes."^[15] According to Lucian, "Cerberus and Cynic are surely related through the dog."^[17]

The Cynic way of life required continuous training, not just in exercising judgments and mental impressions, but a physical training as well:

[Diogenes] used to say, that there were two kinds of exercise: that, namely, of the mind and that of the body; and that the latter of these created in the mind such quick and agile impressions at the time of its performance, as very much facilitated the practice of virtue; but that one was imperfect without the other, since the health and vigour necessary for the practice of what is good, depend equally on both mind and body.^[18]

None of this meant that a Cynic would retreat from society. Cynics were in fact to live in the full glare of the public's gaze and be quite indifferent in the face of any insults which might result from their unconventional behaviour.^[10] The Cynics are said to have invented the idea of cosmopolitanism: when he was asked where he came from, Diogenes replied that he was "a citizen of the world, (kosmopolitês)."^[19]

The ideal Cynic would evangelise; as the watchdog of humanity, they thought it their duty to hound people about the error of their ways.^[10] The example of the Cynic's life (and the use of the Cynic's biting satire) would dig up and expose the pretensions which lay at the root of everyday conventions.^[10]

Although Cynicism concentrated primarily on ethics, some Cynics, such as Monimus, addressed epistemology with regard to tuphos (τῦφος) expressing skeptical views.

Cynic philosophy had a major impact on the Hellenistic world, ultimately becoming an important influence for Stoicism. The Stoic Apollodorus, writing in the 2nd century BC, stated that "Cynicism is the short path to virtue."^[20]

History of Cynicism[edit]

Bust of Antisthenes

The classical Greek and Roman Cynics regarded virtue as the only necessity for happiness, and saw virtue as entirely sufficient for attaining it. Classical Cynics followed this philosophy to the extent of neglecting everything not furthering their perfection of virtue and attainment of happiness, thus, the title of Cynic, derived from the Greek word κύων (meaning "dog") because they allegedly neglected society, hygiene, family, money, etc., in a manner reminiscent of dogs. They sought to free themselves from conventions; become self-sufficient; and live only in accordance with nature. They rejected any conventional notions of happiness involving money, power, and fame, to lead entirely virtuous, and thus happy, lives.^[21]

The ancient Cynics rejected conventional social values, and would criticise the types of behaviours, such as greed, which they viewed as causing suffering. Emphasis on this aspect of their teachings led, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries,^[22] to the modern understanding of cynicism as "an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others."^[23] This modern definition of cynicism is in marked contrast to the ancient philosophy, which emphasized "virtue and moral freedom in liberation from desire."^[24]

Influences[edit]

Various philosophers, such as the Pythagoreans, had advocated simple living in the centuries preceding the Cynics. In the early 6th century BC, Anacharsis, a Scythian sage, had combined plain living together with criticisms of Greek customs in a manner which would become standard among the Cynics.^[25] Perhaps of importance were tales of Indian philosophers, known as gymnosophists, who had adopted a strict asceticism. By the 5th century BC, the sophists had begun a process of questioning many aspects of Greek society such as religion, law and ethics. However, the most immediate influence for the Cynic school was Socrates. Although he was not an ascetic, he did profess a love of virtue and an indifference to wealth,^[26] together with a disdain for general opinion.^[27] These aspects of Socrates' thought, which formed only a minor part of Plato's philosophy, became the central inspiration for another of Socrates' pupils, Antisthenes.^{[citation needed]}

Symbolisms[edit]

Cynics were often recognized in the ancient world by their apparel—an old cloak and a staff. The cloak came as an allusion to Socrates and his manner of dress, while the staff was to the club of Heracles. These items became so symbolic of the Cynic vocation that ancient writers accosted those who thought that donning the Cynic garb would make them suited to the philosophy.^[28]

In the social evolution from the archaic age to the classical, the public ceased carrying weapons into the poleis. Originally it was expected that one carried a sword while in the city. However, a transition to spears and then to staffs occurred until wearing any weapon in the city became a foolish old custom.^[29] Thus, the very act of carrying a staff was slightly taboo itself. According to modern theorists, the symbol of the staff was one which both functions as a tool to signal the user's dissociation from physical labour, that is, as a display of conspicuous leisure, and at the same time it also has an association with sport and typically plays a part in hunting and sports clothing. Thus, it displays active and warlike qualities, rather than being a symbol of a weak man's need to support himself.^[30][31] The staff itself became a message of how the Cynic was free through its possible interpretation as an item of leisure, but, just as equivalent, was its message of strength—a virtue held in abundance by the Cynic philosopher.^{[citation needed]}

Antisthenes[edit]

Main article: Antisthenes

The story of Cynicism traditionally begins with Antisthenes (c. 445–365 BC),^[32][33] who was an older contemporary of Plato and a pupil of Socrates. About 25 years his junior, Antisthenes was one of the most important of Socrates' disciples.^[34] Although later classical authors had little doubt about labelling him as the founder of Cynicism,^[35] his philosophical views seem to be more complex than the later simplicities of pure Cynicism. In the list of works ascribed to Antisthenes by Diogenes Laërtius,^[36] writings on language, dialogue and literature far outnumber those on ethics or politics,^[37] although they may reflect how his philosophical interests changed with time.^[38] It is certainly true that Antisthenes preached a life of poverty:

I have enough to eat till my hunger is stayed, to drink till my thirst is sated; to clothe myself as well; and out of doors not [even] Callias there, with all his riches, is more safe than I from shivering; and when I find myself indoors, what warmer shirting do I need than my bare walls?^[39]

Diogenes of Sinope[edit]

Diogenes Searching for an Honest Man (c. 1780) attributed to J. H. W. Tischbein

Main article: Diogenes

Diogenes (c. 412–323 BC) dominates the story of Cynicism like no other figure. He originally went to Athens, fleeing his home city, after he and his father, who was in charge of the mint at Sinope, got into trouble for falsifying the coinage.^[40] (The phrase "defacing the currency" later became proverbial in describing Diogenes' rejection of conventional values.)^[41] Later tradition claimed that Diogenes became the disciple of Antisthenes,^[42] but it is by no means certain that they ever met.^[43][44][45] Diogenes did however adopt Antisthenes' teachings and the ascetic way of life, pursuing a life of self-sufficiency (autarkeia), austerity (askēsis), and shamelessness (anaideia).^[46] There are many anecdotes about his extreme asceticism (sleeping in a tub),^[47] his shameless behaviour (eating raw meat),^[48] and his criticism of conventional society ("bad people obey their lusts as servants obey their masters"),^[49] and although it is impossible to tell which of these stories are true, they do illustrate the broad character of the man, including an ethical seriousness.^[50]

Crates of Thebes[edit]

Crates and Hipparchia, an antique fresco from Rome

Crates of Thebes (c. 365–c. 285 BC) is the third figure who dominates Cynic history. He is notable because he renounced a large fortune to live a life of Cynic poverty in Athens.^[51] He is said to have been a pupil of Diogenes,^[52] but again this is uncertain.^[53] Crates married Hipparchia of Maroneia after she had fallen in love with him and together they lived like beggars on the streets of Athens,^[54] where Crates was treated with respect.^[55] Crates' later fame (apart from his unconventional lifestyle) lies in the fact that he became the teacher of Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism.^[56] The Cynic strain to be found in early Stoicism (such as Zeno's own radical views on sexual equality spelled out in his Republic) can be ascribed to Crates' influence.^[57]

Other Cynics[edit]

There were many other Cynics in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, including Onesicritus (who sailed with Alexander the Great to India), the skeptic Monimus, the moral satirist Bion of Borysthenes, the diatribist Teles and Menippus of Gadara. However, with the rise of Stoicism in the 3rd century BC, Cynicism as a serious philosophical activity underwent a decline,^[3][58] and it is not until the Roman era that Cynicism underwent a revival.^{[citation needed]}

Cynicism in the Roman world[edit]

Diogenes Sitting in His Tub (1860) by Jean-Léon Gérôme

There is little record of Cynicism in the 2nd or 1st centuries BC; Cicero (c. 50 BC), who was much interested in Greek philosophy, had little to say about Cynicism, except that "it is to be shunned; for it is opposed to modesty, without which there can be neither right nor honor."^[59] However, by the 1st century CE, Cynicism reappeared with full force. The rise of Imperial Rome, like the Greek loss of independence under Philip and Alexander three centuries earlier, may have led to a sense of powerlessness and frustration among many people, which allowed a philosophy which emphasized self-sufficiency and inner-happiness to flourish once again.^[60] Cynics could be found throughout the empire, standing on street corners, preaching about virtue.^[61] Lucian complained that "every city is filled with such upstarts, particularly with those who enter the names of Diogenes, Antisthenes, and Crates as their patrons and enlist in the Army of the Dog,"^[62] and Aelius Aristides observed that "they frequent the doorways, talking more to the doorkeepers than to the masters, making up for their lowly condition by using impudence."^[63] The most notable representative of Cynicism in the 1st century CE was Demetrius, whom Seneca praised as "a man of consummate wisdom, though he himself denied it, constant to the principles which he professed, of an eloquence worthy to deal with the mightiest subjects."^[64] Cynicism in Rome was both the butt of the satirist and the ideal of the thinker. In the 2nd century CE, Lucian, whilst pouring scorn on the Cynic philosopher Peregrinus Proteus,^[65] nevertheless praised his own Cynic teacher, Demonax, in a dialogue.^[66]

Cynicism came to be seen as an idealised form of Stoicism, a view which led Epictetus to eulogise the ideal Cynic in a lengthy discourse.^[67] According to Epictetus, the ideal Cynic "must know that he is sent as a messenger from Zeus to people concerning good and bad things, to show them that they have wandered."^[68] Unfortunately for Epictetus, many Cynics of the era did not live up to the ideal: "consider the present Cynics who are dogs that wait at tables, and in no respect imitate the Cynics of old except perchance in breaking wind."^[69]

Unlike Stoicism, which declined as an independent philosophy after the 2nd century CE, Cynicism seems to have thrived into the 4th century.^[70] The emperor, Julian (ruled 361–363), like Epictetus, praised the ideal Cynic and complained about the actual practitioners of Cynicism.^[71] The final Cynic noted in classical history is Sallustius of Emesa in the late 5th century.^[72] A student of the Neoplatonic philosopher Isidore of Alexandria, he devoted himself to living a life of Cynic asceticism.^{[citation needed]}

Cynicism and Christianity[edit]

Coptic icon of Saint Anthony of the Desert, an early Christian ascetic. Early Christian asceticism may have been influenced by Cynicism.^[73]

Jesus as a Jewish Cynic[edit]

Some historians have noted the similarities between the teachings of Jesus and those of the Cynics. Some scholars have argued that the Q document, a hypothetical common source for the gospels of Matthew and Luke, has strong similarities to the teachings of the Cynics.^[74][75] Scholars on the quest for the historical Jesus, such as Burton L. Mack and John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar, have argued that 1st-century AD Galilee was a world in which Hellenistic ideas collided with Jewish thought and traditions. The city of Gadara, only a day's walk from Nazareth, was particularly notable as a centre of Cynic philosophy,^[76] and Mack has described Jesus as a "rather normal Cynic-type figure."^[77] For Crossan, Jesus was more like a Cynic sage from a Hellenistic Jewish tradition than either a Christ who would die as a substitute for sinners or a messiah who wanted to establish an independent Jewish state of Israel.^[78] Other scholars doubt that Jesus was deeply influenced by the Cynics and see the Jewish prophetic tradition as of much greater importance.^[79]

Cynic influences on early Christianity[edit]

Many of the ascetic practices of Cynicism may have been adopted by early Christians, and Christians often employed the same rhetorical methods as the Cynics.^[80] Some Cynics were martyred for speaking out against the authorities.^[81] One Cynic, Peregrinus Proteus, lived for a time as a Christian before converting to Cynicism,^[82] whereas in the 4th century, Maximus of Alexandria, although a Christian, was also called a Cynic because of his ascetic lifestyle. Christian writers would often praise Cynic poverty,^[83] although they scorned Cynic shamelessness, Augustine stating that they had, "in violation of the modest instincts of men, boastfully proclaimed their unclean and shameless opinion, worthy indeed of dogs."^[84] The ascetic orders of Christianity (such as the Desert Fathers) also had direct connection with the Cynics, as can be seen in the wandering mendicant monks of the early church, who in outward appearance and in many of their practices differed little from the Cynics of an earlier age.^[73] Emmanuel College scholar Leif E. Vaage compared the commonalities between the Q document and Cynic texts, such as the Cynic epistles.^[74] The epistles contain the wisdom and (often polemical) ethics preached by Cynics along with their sense of purity and aesthetic practices.^[85]

During the 2nd century, Crescens the Cynic clashed with Justin Martyr, recorded as claiming the Christians were atheotatous (“the most atheist ones”), in reference to their rejection of the pagan gods and their absence of temples, statues, or sacrifices. This was a popular criticism of the Christians and it continued on into the 4th century.^[86]

See also[edit]

• Philosophy portal

• Anticonformism
• Asceticism
• Cynic epistles
• Encratites
• Foolishness for Christ
• List of ancient Greek philosophers
• List of Cynic philosophers
• Natural law
• Stoicism
• Kotzker Rebbe (a chasidic "Cynic" in the ancient sense of the word)

Notes[edit]

1. ^ Christopher H. Hallett, (2005), The Roman Nude: Heroic Portrait Statuary 200 BC–AD 300, p. 294. Oxford University Press
2. ^ Laërtius & Hicks 1925, VI:23; Jerome, Adversus Jovinianum, 2.14.
3. ^ Jump up to:^a b Dudley 1937, p. 117
4. ^ Kynikos, "A Greek-English Lexicon", Liddell and Scott, at Perseus
5. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 13. Cf. The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, 2nd edition, p. 165.
6. ^ An obscure reference to "the Dog" in Aristotle's Rhetoric (3.10.1411a25) is generally agreed to be the first reference to Diogenes.
7. ^ Diogenes of Sinope, quoted by Stobaeus, Florilegium, iii. 13. 44.
8. ^ Christian August Brandis, Scholium on Aristotle's Rhetoric, quoted in Dudley 1937, p. 5
9. ^ Long 1996, p. 28
10. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e} Kidd 2005
11. ^ Long 1996, p. 29
12. ^ Jump up to:^a b Navia, Luis E. Classical Cynicism: A Critical Study. p. 140.
13. ^ Adamson, Peter (2015). Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds. Oxford University Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-19-872802-3.
14. ^ Jump up to:^a b Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 2, 71; Dio Chrysostom, Orations, viii. 26–32; Pseudo-Lucian, Cynicus, 13; Lucian, De Morte Peregrini, 4, 33, 36.
15. ^ Jump up to:^a b Orlando Patterson: Freedom. p. 186
16. ^ Long 1996, p. 34
17. ^ Lucian, Dialogues of the Dead, 21
18. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 70
19. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 63
20. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 121
21. ^ Cynics – The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
22. ^ David Mazella, (2007), The Making of Modern Cynicism, University of Virginia Press. ISBN 0-8139-2615-7
23. ^ Cynicism, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Fourth Edition. 2006. Houghton Mifflin Company.
24. ^ Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, p. 231. Simon and Schuster.
25. ^ R. Martin, The Scythian Accent: Anacharsis and the Cynics, Bracht Branham & Goulet-Cazé 1996
26. ^ Plato, Apology, 41e.
27. ^ Xenophon, Apology, 1.
28. ^ Epictetus, 3.22
29. ^ Aristotle, Politics (Aristotle): bk 2, 1268b
30. ^ Veblen, 1994 [1899]: 162
31. ^ Jon Ploug Jørgensen, The taming of the aristoi - an ancient Greek civilizing process? History of the Human Sciences: July 2014 vol. 27 no. 3, pp. 42–43
32. ^ Dudley 1937, p. 1
33. ^ Bracht Branham & Goulet-Cazé 1996, p. 6
34. ^ Xenophon, Symposium, 4.57–64.
35. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 2
36. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 15–18
37. ^ Prince 2005, p. 79
38. ^ Navia 1996, p. 40
39. ^ Xenophon, Symposium, 4.34.
40. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 20–21
41. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 20, 71
42. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 6, 18, 21; Aelian, x. 16; Epictetus, Discourses, iii. 22. 63
43. ^ Long 1996, p. 45
44. ^ Dudley 1937, p. 2
45. ^ Prince 2005, p. 77
46. ^ Sarton, G., Ancient Science Through the Golden Age of Greece, Dover Publications. (1980).
47. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 23; Jerome, Adversus Jovinianum, 2.14
48. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 34
49. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 66
50. ^ Long 1996, p. 33
51. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 87–88
52. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 85, 87; Epictetus, Discourses, iii. 22. 63
53. ^ Long 1996, p. 46
54. ^ Although there is no mention in ancient sources of them actually begging. Cf. Doyne Dawson, (1992), Cities of the gods: communist utopias in Greek thought, p. 135. Oxford University Press
55. ^ Plutarch, Symposiacs, 2.1; Apuleius, Florida, 22; Julian, Orations, 6.201b
56. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, i. 15, vi. 105, vii. 2, etc
57. ^ Schofield 1991
58. ^ Bracht Branham & Goulet-Cazé 1996, p. 13
59. ^ Cicero, De Officiis, i. 41.
60. ^ Dudley 1937, p. 124
61. ^ Lucian, De Morte Peregrini, 3
62. ^ Lucian, Fugitivi, 16.
63. ^ Aelius Aristides, iii. 654–694
64. ^ Seneca, De Beneficiis, vii.
65. ^ Lucian, De Morte Peregrini.
66. ^ Lucian, Demonax.
67. ^ Epictetus, Discourses, 3. 22.
68. ^ Epictetus, Discourses, 3. 22. 23
69. ^ Epictetus, Discourses, 3. 22. 80
70. ^ Dudley 1937, p. 202
71. ^ Julian, Oration 6: To the Uneducated Cynics; Oration 7: To the Cynic Heracleios.
72. ^ Damascius, Life of Isidorus: fragments preserved in the Commentary on Plato's Parmenides by Proclus, in the Bibliotheca of Photius, and in the Suda.
73. ^ Jump up to:^a b Dudley 1937, pp. 209–211
74. ^ Jump up to:^a b Leif Vaage, (1994), Galilean Upstarts: Jesus' First Followers According to Q. TPI
75. ^ F. Gerald Downing, (1992), Cynics and Christian Origins. T. & T. Clark.
76. ^ In particular, Menippus (3rd century BC), Meleager (1st century BC), and Oenomaus (2nd century CE), all came from Gadara.
77. ^ Quoted in R. Ostling, "Who was Jesus?", Time, August 15, 1988, pp. 37–42.
78. ^ John Dominic Crossan, (1991), The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, ISBN 0-06-061629-6
79. ^ Craig A. Evans, Life of Jesus Research: An Annotated Bibliography, p. 151. Brill
80. ^ F. Gasco Lacalle, (1986) Cristianos y cinicos. Una tificacion del fenomeno cristiano durante el siglo II, pp. 111–119. Memorias de Historia Antigua 7.
81. ^ Dio Cassius, Epitome of book 65, 15.5; Herodian, Roman History, 1.9.2–5
82. ^ Lucian, De Morte Peregrini, 10–15
83. ^ Origen, adv. Cels. 2.41, 6.28, 7.7; Basil of Caesarea, Leg. Lib. Gent. 9.3, 4, 20; Theodoret, Provid. 6; John Chrysostom, Ad. Op. Vit. Monast. 2.4, 5
84. ^ Augustine,  De Civitate Dei 14.20.
85. ^ Leif E. Vaage, (1990), Cynic Epistles (Selections), in Vincent L. Wimbush, Ascetic Behavior in Greco-Roman Antiquity: A Sourcebook, pp. 117–118. Continuum International
86. ^ Zuckerman, Phil (2007). Martin, Michael T (ed.). The Cambridge companion to atheism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-521-84270-9. Retrieved 2011-04-09.

References[edit]

• Branham, R. Bracht; Goulet-Cazé, Marie-Odile, eds. (2000), The Cynics: The Cynic Movement in Antiquity and Its Legacy, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-21645-7
• Dudley, R. (1937), A History of Cynicism from Diogenes to the 6th Century A.D., Cambridge University Press
• Kidd, I. (2005), "Cynicism", in Rée, Jonathan; Urmson, J. O. (eds.), The Concise Encyclopedia of Western Philosophy, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-32924-8
• Long, A. A., "The Socratic Tradition: Diogenes, Crates, and Hellenistic Ethics", in Branham and Goulet-Cazé, pp. 28–46 (ed.), {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• Navia, Luis (1996), Classical Cynicism: A Critical Study, Greenwood Press, ISBN 978-0-313-30015-8
• Prince, Susan (2005), "Socrates, Antisthenes, and the Cynics", in Ahbel-Rappe, Sara; Kamtekar, Rachana (eds.), A Companion to Socrates, Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4051-0863-8
• Schofield, Malcolm (1991), The Stoic Idea of the City, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-226-74006-5

Further reading[edit]

Primary sources[edit]

• Socratis et Socraticorum Reliquiae, ed. G. Giannantoni, 4 volumes (Naples, 1990). Volume 2 collects fragments of the early Cynics from Antisthenes to Crates.
• The Cynic Philosophers, ed. R. Dobbin (Penguin, 2012)
• Diogenes the Cynic: Sayings and Anecdotes: With Other Popular Moralists, ed. R. Hard (Oxford, 2012)
• Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VI: The Cynics
• Dio Chrysostom, Cynic Discourses: Oration 6, Oration 8, Oration 9, Oration 10.
• Epictetus, Discourse 3.22, On Cynicism
• Pseudo-Lucian^{[citation needed]}, The Cynic
• Julian the Apostate, 6th Oration – To the Uneducated Cynics
• Julian the Apostate, 7th Oration – To the Cynic Heracleios

Secondary sources[edit]

• Ian Cutler, (2005), Cynicism from Diogenes to Dilbert. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-2093-6
• William D. Desmond, (2006), The Greek Praise of Poverty: Origins of Ancient Cynicism. University of Notre Dame Press. ISBN 0-268-02582-7
• ————, (2008), Cynics. Ancient Philosophies Series. Acumen Publishing. ISBN 1-84465-129-0
• F. Gerald Downing, (1992), Cynics and Christian Origins. T. & T. Clark. ISBN 0-567-09613-0
• Luis E. Navia, (1996), Classical Cynicism: A Critical Study. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-30015-1
• Lousa Shea (2009), The Cynic Enlightenment: Diogenes in the Salon Johns Hopkins University Press.
• H. C. Baldry, "Zeno's Ideal State". Published in The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 79 (1959), pp. 3–15. doi:10.2307/627917
• Kathy L. Gaca, "Early Stoic Eros: The Sexual Ethics of Zeno and Chrysippus and their Evaluation of the Greek Erotic Tradition". Published in Apeiron: A Journal for Ancient Philosophy and Science, Vol. 33, No. 3 (September 2000), pp. 207–238.

External links[edit]

Look up cynicism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cynic philosophers.

• Cynicism on In Our Time at the BBC
• "Cynicism (philosophy)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• "Cynicism", in The Dictionary of the History of Ideas
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Cynic School of Philosophy" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Lives & Writings on the Cynics, directory of literary references to Ancient Cynics