Emancipating yourself like Diogenes

Diogenes of Sinope was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC (from 413 BC to 327 BC). He became a legend for his very atypical life. Even though he is considered like the father of the cynical movement, he only left a short and controversial legacy, but what he is especially remembered for are some hilarious anecdotes.

Born to a banker father, he grew up in a very well-to-do environment and enjoyed an education according to the rules of the art. Once Diogenes became a young adult, his father was convicted of creating counterfeit money. At this moment, his life changed, and our future philosopher was forced to flee to Athens. Part of his story is unclear and not well documented, but, at this time, he discovered the anti-materialistic way of life that made him famous.

He lived in a vast jar lying on the ground in the streets of the Greek capital, wearing only an oversized coat. He had only a stick, a lantern, and a bowl (which he eventually got rid of) to drink.

Diogenes and Alexander the Great

The most famous story of the philosopher is still his exchange with Alexander the Great, then visiting Athens to meet Diogenes, whose legends he had heard.

If you don’t know it, here it is:

A: — “Ask me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

• “Yes, move a little to the right, you are blocking my sun.”
• “Are you not afraid of me?”
• “What are you, good or evil?”
• “Good.”
• “Who then could fear the good?”

At this point, he became a legend. Alexander the Great said sometime after their exchange that if he had not been himself, he would have wanted to be Diogenes.

“I’m looking for a man.”

His meeting with Alexander was not a one-time thing for Diogenes, who had already long mocked another great Greek philosopher.

This philosopher was none other than Plato, who theorized an “ideal man” at that time, which did not please Diogenes at all, who saw only individualities and concrete people. So he walked around the streets of Athens, approaching people saying: “I’m looking for a man” or “I’m looking for Plato’s man”. It is even said he would have done that with a plucked rooster without dewclaws (Plato having also said that man is a “Biped without feathers and horns”).

A madman in the streets of Athens

On a more general note, it seems obvious with hindsight that Diogenes was only going crazy. He spent days walking the streets of Athens, talking about Plato to passers-by and other things about which we have little information.

He begged statues to “get used to refusal” but also wanted to live like a dog, an animal that he made sacred in a certain way (a common thing in ancient Greece), asking Athenians what breed of dog they were.

However, one should not be mistaken; Diogenes was quite happy with this life devoid of all material goods. When an Athenian asked our philosopher why he lived in such poverty, he answered soberly: “Wretch, you have seen many people become tyrants because of wealth, but never because of poverty.”

It is also said that Diogenes became a slave for a few years when he tried to travel on a ship before being released at an advanced age. But the informations on this subject are very poor.

Died as he lived

The life of Diogenes is so peculiar and so little documented that it becomes all the more fascinating. In fact, we do not know much about him. Some of the anecdotes I have quoted here have been passed down through the ages, but maybe they have been romanticized or even, in some cases, wholly invented (the one about Alexander the Great seems to be accurate tho).

The end of his life is less clear. He died at 86; some sources say that he died bitten by a wild dog, others of some disease or suicide. We do not know more than that.

His legacy is undeniable but ultimately little known, as the philosophers who succeeded him disagreed with most of his ideas. In his time, he already advocated equality between men and women or total freedom, far from social conventions. As a reminder, this man lived 2500 years ago.

When we think about it more closely, the lesson to be learned from Diogenes’ life is perhaps not the one we think of first. Of course, his life can take us back to over-consumerism and anti-materialism. However, the real lesson to be learned from Diogenes’ life is the simple fact of drawing oneself away from people’s gaze. What people thought of him and his life did not matter at all to the philosopher. He was an atypical man, and so was his life. However, he never had any intention of changing the image the Athenians had of him. On the contrary, maybe it was because of the way he were that he was so appreciated by them, and that they forgave him for all his actions and wanderings.

We must accept living the way we want without worrying about what people think. Life is better this way.

Whether interested in philosophy or not, the biography of Diogenes of Sinope always brings a smile on people’s faces. For this simple reason, this very special man will be remembered for many years.

Translated and corrected by Juliette Busson