Get Free Ebook The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics)
When visiting this web site, you are remaining in the right location. Obtaining guide right here will enhance your concepts and also inspirations, not just about the life and society that come over in this recent period. After we offer this The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics), there are additionally numerous viewers that love this publication. Exactly what about you? Will you belong to them? This will not provide you lack or adverse part to read this book. It will probably develop your life performance and also high quality.
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics)
Get Free Ebook The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics)
Lots of people are attempting to be smarter on a daily basis. How's about you? There are several methods to evoke this case; you can discover expertise and also lesson everywhere you desire. Nonetheless, it will involve you to obtain just what telephone call as the favored point. When you require this sort of resources, the following publication can be a terrific selection. The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) is the title of guide,
This reason is among some reasons that make lots of people mostly wish to read this publication. It is additionally advised with the higher quality of how the writer reveals the description, providing instances, and picks the dictions. Every word and sentence that is included in load as a publication entitled The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) shows up in extremely enhancing condition. This is not just for the analysis material yet also a god choice for analysis.
Checking out the publication The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) by on the internet could be likewise done easily every where you are. It seems that hesitating the bus on the shelter, waiting the list for queue, or various other places feasible. This The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) can accompany you because time. It will certainly not make you really feel bored. Besides, by doing this will likewise boost your life quality.
Yeah, checking out a publication The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) could add your good friends checklists. This is one of the solutions for you to be successful. As known, success does not imply that you have wonderful things. Understanding as well as understanding greater than various other will certainly offer each success. Beside, the notification and also impression of this The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes To Julian (Penguin Classics) can be taken and chosen to act.
About the Author
Robert Dobbin received a Ph.D. in classics from the University of California at Berkeley and taught history and classics at the college level. He is the translator and editor of Epictetus' Discourses and Selected Writings for Penguin Classics, as well as articles on Virgil, Plato, and Pythagoras. He works as a book editor in Northern California.
Read more
Product details
Series: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (February 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0141192224
ISBN-13: 978-0141192222
Product Dimensions:
5.1 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.5 out of 5 stars
11 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#77,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
I'm no philosopher or philosophy major, but I enjoy the history of ideas. I'm very grateful to the editors at Penguin for making this highly readable introduction to the Cynics available to general readers. The anecdotes and sayings, especially those of Diogenes and Bion, really make you believe you are getting to know not just a philosophical doctrine but very memorable characters, even if some of the stories are apocryphal. I found myself laughing aloud at some of these characters' observations and stories and sharing them with family in the room.Reading about the men who took the "shortcut to virtue" will probably challenge you as well as amuse you, as well as raise the question: are these men crazy (Diogenes would be locked away for pulling his stunts today), or were they the only sane people around?Highly recommended.
This little volume covers the major figures of the Cynic school of philosophy (the opposite of modern "cynicism") well and at a cost a true Cynic would approve of. It provides, probably, the only fresh translations into English in decades and includes the rare fragments of the philosopher Teles which are usually neglected. Anyone interested in the philosophy of the Cynics, a philosophy that endured for nearly 800 years, and which stressed simplicity and living in harmony with nature will find this intriguing, perhaps enlightening, Well done, by a serious scholar.
This is what you should purchase/find for your self if you are interested in the Cynics. Unfortunately other copies are either not very good or are incredibly expensive (and I'm ignorant of their quality). This is inexpensive (as the Cynics would want it) and has great selections of their philosophy. The first I particularly find wonderful - almost a precursor to Anarchism or lifestyle Anti-Capitalism in a way.Great thinkers. Great edition of their work.
Makes you think, very entertaining. I don’t know how practical it is, but definitely sheds light on the ridiculousness of materialistic living
A nice introduction for the neophyte (me)
Well put together
TL;DR all these dudes just banged each other and pontificated. Anything Diogenes is literally just hearsay - no records exist.
Do we delude ourselves about happiness? The Cynics thought so. Named after the self-reliant and loyal animal they respected, the dog, they preached to and sometimes even harangued people they saw as misguided. They dismissed wealth, fame, consumerism and prestige as illusions that actually make people miserable. They wanted to live unencumbered by material things and societal norms that, they thought, limited pure human speech, thought and action. Though they flourished centuries ago, in Greek and Roman times, their ideas still resonate, or perhaps revolt, today. Many, though not all, actually lived their philosophies, often to still shocking extremes. Few 21st century people would attempt to follow their example, though perhaps a reality show could lure those hungry for fame to try, which would of course be completely antithetical to the spirit of Cynicism. Anyone who did try, at least in the industrialized world, would likely find themselves incarcerated or institutionalized. As such, the modern world seems to have rendered the Cynic lifestyle unfeasible. But this doesn't mean the Cynics have nothing to teach our highly technological and hierarchical society. Perhaps we remain deluded about our own happiness and need the Cynics now more than ever?Like most philosophies and ideals, Cynicism evolved over time. Though Diogenes of Sinope often stands as the movement's famous exemplar, many others answered the call and introduced variations and nuanced interpretations. Many studies of Cynicism exist, but reading the primary sources probably serves as the best introduction to this topic as the original texts remain accessible to general audiences. One great place to start is the unintimidating anthology "The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian," which covers a few centuries of Cynic thinking, including its evolution and criticisms. It actually covers Antisthenes to Julian, but "Diogenes to Julian" probably makes for a more catchy title. The book's brief introduction outlines general Cynic thinking and principles along with short biographies of each Cynic covered. An interesting question about the affinity of Jesus with Cynicism gets raised, but then mostly dismissed as no proof exists of a direct influence. This short but conceptually thick introduction provides enough information to comprehend all of the subsequent primary texts. For the most part, these works remain highly readable, poignant, entertaining, sometimes dogmatic and often hilarious. They continue to speak for themselves centuries later. But the tone of the essays change as the anthology progresses.The first short dialogue, "The Cynic", attributed to Lucian, serves as a great starting point for learning Cynic ways. In typical dialogue fashion, the protagonist, named "Kynikos," prevails. Lycinus, the "normal" antagonist, challenges Kynikos' lifestyle and eventually gets reduced to silence, gradually steamrollered by Kynikos' increasing volubility. Along the way, Kynikos questions and reflects upon excessive luxury, satisfaction of one's needs, health, diet, greed, taking one's fair share, ambition and freedom. He claims that he meets his needs simply, doesn't intervene in the lives of others, enjoys good health, evokes Heracles and Theseus as Cynic exemplars and argues that he pretty much does what he wants to. Many of these same themes are explored and analyzed repeatedly throughout the book. In the end, the most revered Cynics incorporate Cynic principles into their very lives. To these people, Cynicism remains a life philosophy and not mere book knowledge. The ultimate Cynic lives Cynicism.Diogenes of Sinope, of course, has the longest section. But a short section on Antisthenes, Diogenes' theoretical predecessor, follows the initial dialogue. Most of the information comes from Diogenes Laertius and Plutarch, as many of the Cynics own works have not survived. Variations on the probably apocryphal meeting between Diogenes and Alexander the Great appear as do descriptions of the tub he lived in and the "unspeakable acts" he performed in public. Plato appears often. Once he tries to convince Diogenes that if he flattered Dionysius he would not have to scrape vegetables, to which Diogenes responds that if Plato were not too proud to scrape vegetables he wouldn't have to flatter Dionysius. Diogenes' capture by pirates and purported death by eating raw octopus also appear in multiple versions by various authors. Criticisms of Diogenes and Cynicism by Augustine and Johannes Chrysostomus included accuse the movement of simply trying to seek admiration and glory by unconventional means.Many readers may not have heard of the remaining Cynics: names such as Crates (who married Hipparchia, a woman who bravely led the Cynic lifestyle - the only know pure Cynic marriage - and yes, they also did things in public), Bion, Onesicritus, Demetrius, who refuses Caligula's offer of 200,000 in cash, and others follow. Some memorable lines appear (some attributed to multiple Cynics), such as Bion's observation on marriage that "if your wife is ugly, you'll be swearing, if she's pretty, you'll be sharing" and his quote on riches "He does not own a fortune, his fortune owns him." Many of the works originated as oratories on various subjects such as virtue, exile, freedom from passion, death, burial, humanity's fate or other Cynic themes. Teles tells the story of Diogenes responding to the claim that a city is expensive or inexpensive. Lucian tells a mocking story of a false Cynic, Peregrinus, who out of vanity ends up throwing himself on a pyre. Similarly, Epictetus mourns the passing of the true Cynic of days past. He seems to think the Cynics of his day were merely posturing. Lastly, the Emperor Julian, not himself a Cynic, defends Cynicism, Diogenes in particular, against criticisms of his day.This collection sums up Cynicism effectively, especially for a newcomer to this often misunderstood tradition. Reading the historical texts, rather than interpretations of them, gives the anthology an immediacy that secondary commentary sometimes lacks. Not only that, many of the themes will still seem relevant to 21st Century readers. And though no one is likely to take up pure Cynicism as a vocation after reading this book, it nonetheless presents a fairly sympathetic and rounded account of these peoples' motivations and mission. Many may identify with the arguments about the ultimate meaninglessness of fame and fortune and excess excoriated by the Cynics. Some may even see applications to the modern world and realize that some things haven't changed after millenia of "civilization." Nonetheless, the Cynics continue to present challenging questions to humanity, whether one agrees with their thinking or not. One of these questions still lingers: do we delude ourselves about happiness?
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) PDF
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) EPub
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) Doc
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) iBooks
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) rtf
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) Mobipocket
The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics) Kindle