Diogenes of Sinope

#Cynicism #ancient-era #Greek #philosophers-of-religion #figures

Biography

412 BCE - 323 BCE
Sinope, Pontus (now Sinop, Turkey)
Cynic philosopher
Diogenes of Sinope was a Greek philosopher who is known for his teachings on simplicity and virtue as a way of life. He was born in Sinope, Pontus (now Sinop, Turkey) in 412 BCE and is considered a founder of the Cynic philosophical movement. Diogenes believed that living a simple and virtuous life was the key to happiness and that material possessions and social status were unnecessary and even hindrances to this goal. He is known for his ascetic lifestyle and his unconventional behavior, such as living in a barrel and challenging social norms.

Diogenes is known for his teachings on simplicity and virtue as a way of life and his ascetic lifestyle.

Antisthenes - Greek philosopher who was a mentor of Diogenes and is considered another founder of the Cynic philosophical movement.
Crates of Thebes - Greek philosopher who was a student of Antisthenes and a teacher of Diogenes, and is also considered a founder of the Cynic movement.

None of Diogenes' writings have survived, but his teachings and philosophy have been recorded by other ancient writers such as Plutarch and Diogenes Laertius.

Cynicism - A philosophical movement that advocates for living a simple and virtuous life and rejecting material possessions and social status as unnecessary. Diogenes is considered a founder of this movement.
Simplicity - Diogenes' belief in living a simple life as a way to achieve happiness and virtue.
Virtue - Diogenes' emphasis on living a virtuous life as the key to happiness and fulfillment.

"I am a citizen of the world."
"It is not the poor man who is the poorest, but the rich man who does not become poor."

Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1972).
Plutarch, Lives (London: Penguin Books, 1985).