The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian (Penguin Classics)

Well footnoted. Great overview of Cynic thought and its criticism. The author presents a well balanced overview from extant writings.

This is an intriguing book that presents the philosophies of the cynics. I read it because I was curious about who the cynics were. I found the philosophies to be interesting, as both a contrast to Stoicism, and in relation to the question how do I apply these philosophies to my life. While I wouldn’t apply all of the cynic philosophies to my life, I do think its helpful to examine such philosophies and reading this book was helpful for that.

The Cynics spurned property, power, and even social approval. They rejected custom and comfort, embracing instead an impoverished life of sleeping outdoors, foraging for food, and dressing in a single dirty cloak in full view of their metropolitan neighbors. This, they proclaimed for all to hear, is a shortcut to virtue and the only real path to freedom and happiness. The simple, natural life, they insisted, is the cure for “enslavement to the belly and the groin” and the “opinions of the crowd.””Learn to scorn pleasure, to respect hard work, ignore reputation, good or bad, and not to fear death, and you will be able to do anything you want, and gladly too.” - TelesDon’t be fooled, though. The selection of translations in this book contain few gems for modern readers other than to present a well-rounded perspective on the lives of those ancient philosophers. Their arguments often appeal to forgotten myths, dead gods, and a virtue ethic that is no longer universal. Some of them even read like the treatise of an adolescent boy: full of vulgarity and assertions about the makings of a ‘real man’. Often, what they considered ‘rational’ now seems dubious.On the whole, it’s a short, worthy read. Dobbin’s forty-page introduction to Cynicism is enlightening, the translated works from millennia ago often mention social issues with surprising parallels to our own, and I found the philosophy itself compelling enough to study its founders. I would recommend this to dedicated readers with an interest in Cynic ideologies.”You can even derive pleasure from despising pleasure once you have got used to it.”

I’ve been studying stoicism for about 2,5 years and learning about cynicism explained so much of the concept we meditate on stoicism. Great reading, I’ve bought several other books on cynicism already. It definitely deserves all the attention one can give it.Thank you for the amazing book, I jotted down many quotes and ideas from this book that Have been useful and will keep being so in the future.

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 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.

Good book as far as content goes. It explains the philosophy very clearly, especially when it comes to Diogenes. My main problem with this was the vocabulary used. It was annoying to search up the definitions after read every two words, and I don't think using such complex vocabulary was entirely necessary.

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.

"The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian" è un'ottima antologia di testi dei pensatori cinici dal fondatore della scuola Antistene fino all'imperatore Giuliano, curata da Robert Dobbin, esperto della filosofia ellenistica. Come è noto, la stragrande maggioranza degli scritti di questa scuola è andata perduta, per cui dei filosofi cinici ci restano perlopiù frammenti e testimonianze degli autori posteriori.L'introduzione del curatore, ben fatta e chiara, mette in luce i temi fondamentali di questa scuola greca: la libertà di parola (parrhesia), tema su cui il filosofo francese M. Foucault tenne l'ultimo corso (1984) al Collège de France, l'autosufficienza (autarkeia) e l'autocontrollo (karteria) del saggio), l'esercizio quotidiano (askesis) per praticare la virtù e infine il tema della vanità (tuphos), termine che originariamente aveva il significato di fumo o vapore. Peccato non siano stati inclusi nell'antologia i pochi frammenti di Monimo, allievo di Diogene, sul tema della vanità. Sesto empirico riporta un famoso pensiero di Monimo: "Tutto non è che fumo [o vanità] (Adv. Math., VII, 480), tema che ritroviamo anche nell'incipit del libro biblico di Qohelet: "Vanità della vanità, tutto è vanità" (il greco tuphos è l'equivalente dell'ebraico hebel).

We can learn a lot from Diogenes "The Dog." Very well presented in this book.

Great book, really interesting. The author is objective about the historicity of certain stories about Diogenes and makes clear which are more likely to be true, and which may have been altered or exaggerated. Virtually every page has something interesting on it, and sometimes every sentence is an eye-opener. Highly recommend!

This is a must read for lovers of Greek philosophy or even those who despise it. The latter will be particularly pleased how the cynics turn the world of values upside down. Put down your Nietzsche and read this instead.

Great resource.