A while back, there was a thread on who people considered the greatest philosopher -- a good chunk of people leaned towards Diogenes. Me, being the scrub I am, had never heard of him before but reading the thread and reading up on his antics I have to say I'm rather fond of him.
However, no texts of his seem to exist and the majority of his leanings are based on conjecture due to what other people have written on him. While reading on his feud with Plato is interesting, and I admire his sarcasm towards Alexander the Kind-of-Alright, is there any actual reason behind considering him a great philosopher? Or, honestly, a philosopher at all and not just a old dude who lived in a pot and waved his junk at people?
I'm thinking maybe I'm just not looking into it enough, or perhaps there's some novelty I'm missing...
Literally the first meme
I just admire his candor. Dude had balls. I also admire his dedication to the ascetic lifestyle. It's hard to not admire someone who was so passionate about his life's work. I think the problem with modern philosophers like Nietzsche is that they totally failed to live up to their ideal.
>>331822
>I think the problem with modern philosophers like Nietzsche is that they totally failed to live up to their ideal.
And thank God philosophical ideals are never lived up to in society. It would have been utter garbage.
>>331799
nigga ate in public like a barbarian.
but besides the memes, Diogenes the dog was good for developing a field of thought that would remind his contemporaries of vanities and the importance of living in accordance with nature. He obviously lived his philosophy more than he taught it but remains an important influence for all the greater philosophic schools that would develop in antiquity.
>>331817
This, he most likely didn't exist and was just a folktale foil for the great philosophers.
>>333128
Apocryphal, yes, but let's not discuss that.
It is a dangerous topic when trying to suspend disbelief in historical authenticity.
>>331799
Because as a character he was better than pretty much every philosopher except maybe Marcus Aurelius. Most of what he said is apocryphal bullshit and he might not have even existed but compared to the majority of philosophers who are basically depressed upper class ultra-autists, he's a far more imposing figure. Diogenes is everyone's favourite philosopher because he's a legendary, larger than life baller. That doesn't mean he composed anyone's favourite philosophies.
>>331799
is there an actual game like this
>>333152
All in all he's okay but I find all the love for him a bit annoying. Seems like the people that adore him most are the types that would rather take philosophy in cute little bite sized doses instead of read a proper work (i.e. normal people). Ancient version of chicken soup for the soul.
>>333185
>All in all he's okay but I find all the love for him a bit annoying.
Distance yourself from illogical cares bereft of exaltation.
There's really nothing else written of him. Consider him an introductory to cynicism and its derivative schools of thought.
>>331799
He most likely founded Cynicism, considering he is the first written about and the rest were his students. Cynicism in turn is the real substance of Stoicism, and basically the only aspect of it that people really care about nowadays.
