Historical Context pt. 1: Diogenes - A cynical man and his bathtub

But before we properly dive into Stoicism, let me first tell you the story of a man and his bathtub. And not just any ordinary bathtub, but a large ceramic jar in the center of ancient Athens. Residing in this tub was Diogenes of Sinope (404-323 B.C.), one of the founders of Cynicism. He was heavily influenced by Socrates and wanted to continue the search of what it meant to live a virtuous life.

According to the many anecdotes about his life, the way he acted out his philosophy was quite a spectacle. By all accounts this guy was an absolute legend in his time. Not only because of his radical ideas, but mostly because of his outrageous behaviour.

Diogenes praised the virtues of dogs and rejected common standards of human decency by defecating in front of a crowd and even urinating on those who insulted him. As a result people started calling him kynikos or “dog-like”; of which later the term “cynic” was derived. Diogenes even enjoyed this label and was known for literally barking at people that bothered him.

However, he wasn’t a mad man. His disruptive actions were a calculated way to expose what he perceived as the regressive nature of Greek civilization. He was a clever thinker that used wit and satire to expose people’s irrationalities. For example, he often times walked around with a burning lantern in broad daylight. When someone asked him what he was doing, he’d answer he was “looking for an honest man.”

Nicolas Andre Monsiau - Alexander and Diogenes (Source)

He soon became famous and when Alexander the Great came to visit him and offered him a favor, Diogenes calmly replied “Stand a little out of my sun.” Alexander walked away laughing and told his followers “If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.”

But why would the most powerful man in the world want to be like Diogenes, a social outcast living in a ceramic jar in absolute poverty? Because in a strange way both men were the same. Alexander was so powerful that no man could do anything to him and Diogenes was so devoid of any pride and so removed from social conventions that he found freedom in having nothing to lose.

Because make no mistake, Diogenes bizarre behaviour was founded in a well thought-out philosophical ideal. For him the purpose of life is to live in virtue, in accordance with nature. Since it is in the nature of man to act in accord with his reason, this natural life is rational. Societal conventions such as wealth, power and property aren’t natural and often times irrational, and thus must be rejected. Man must live a life of self-sufficiency, austerity and shamelessness. The more man rejects authority and lives in accordance with his natural reason, the closer he will get to achieving a tranquil state of mind and true happiness.

Diogenes believed that actions speak louder than words; which explains his unusual antics. As a result he despised theoretical knowledge that serves no practical purpose. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that he and Plato weren’t best buddies, and he often times ridiculed Plato’s abstract philosophy by disrupting his lectures or even showing up naked at his house.

But despite his controversial lifestyle, he was taken surprisingly serious by his peers and gained followers. One of his pupils, Crates of Thebes, would in his turn be the teacher of Zeno of Citium, the later founder of Stoicism.

In the next part of Understanding Stoicism we’ll discuss why Diogenes' radical behaviour and rejection of social conventions were a major requisite for the birth of Stoic philosophy.

Sources and further reading:

Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Dio Chrysostom, Discourses
Plutarch, The Parallel Lives
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Diogenes of Sinope

More Understanding Stoicism

• Historical Context pt. 2: Zeno - Oracles, shipwrecks and lentil soup