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Gute Wahl . . .

wie wärs noch mit ein bisschen Musik?

Diogenes - cynicism at it's peak

Aktualisiert: 15. Okt. 2024

"I life in a world full of goldfish"

Mycroft Holmes said this to his younger brother in the 2014 BBC series "Sherlock" (Season 3, Episode 1: "The Empty Hearse"). In this film adaptation, the character receives significantly more "screen time" than in the literary original by Arthur Conan Doyle. Despite the wealth of plot covered in the 56 short stories and four "Sherlock Holmes novels," Mycroft Holmes appears as a supporting character in person only three times: in "The Greek Interpreter," "The Final Problem," and "The Bruce-Partington Plans."


However, he is mentioned more frequently. This is likely because he is characterized as sluggish, reserved, and, not least, reclusive. For this reason, Mycroft Holmes is also the co-founder of a gentlemen's club, the so-called "Diogenes Club," which, according to Sherlock, houses "the most unsociable and club-ineligible men in town." In this club, it is not permitted to take notice of each other, let alone speak; the only exception is the visitors’ room, making it the most peaceful place in all of London for the Holmes brothers.


However, I increasingly found myself wondering who or what this so-called "Diogenes" was. Anyone who has delved into Greek philosophers or is familiar with the "Diogenes Verlag" will have come across the name. The inspiration for the club's name was the Greek philosopher Diogenes, also known as Diogenes of Sinope—and his anecdotes are a true treasure trove. Diogenes was an important founder of the philosophical school of Cynicism. The goal of the so-called Cynics is to live in the greatest possible harmony with nature, even if conventional values such as power, wealth, and status must be neglected to do so—but more on that later.



Kynicism vs. Cynicism


Both words share the same origin, but their current meanings have drastically diverged. There is a legend in Greek mythology in which Diomos, a lover of Heracles, offered a sacrifice to him. However, a white dog (Greek κύων "kýōn", genitive κυνός "kynós") stole the meat offering. Diomos followed the thief and erected an altar where the dog dropped the stolen offering, the "Sanctuary of Heracles Kynosarges" (Ancient Greek Κυνόσαργες "Where the dog lay"). Later, a gymnasium was built at that location. Even today, an Athenian district is named after this gymnasium (Yes, you read that correctly. It’s not a typo.). It was in this very institution that Antisthenes, a student of the now more famous Plato and the teacher of Diogenes, taught. Antisthenes was the founder of Kynicism. As already explained, the core values of Kynicism are a lack of needs and the resulting self-sufficiency, as well as the rejection of social conventions in favor of absolute authenticity.


In the early 20th century, the term was established, though it was still written as "Cynicism" and encompassed both meanings. Later, due to the different ways of pronouncing the "C," separate terms emerged for both words. Unlike irony or sarcasm, with which Cynicism is often confused, "to be cynical," according to the Duden, means “to be scornful in a cruel, decency-offending way.”


Diogenes of Sinope embodied both.



Searching for a Human


Since the 5th century BCE is quite some time ago and there are few verified facts about Diogenes, the easiest way to get a sense of him is by being entertained by his numerous anecdotes. In one of the most famous stories, Diogenes roams through Athens in broad daylight, shining a lantern into the faces of people. When asked why he was doing this, he replied: "anthropon zeto," which roughly translates to "I am searching for a human." But not just any human—he had to be true, authentic, and therefore, in Diogenes' view, good. This scene, like many others from the philosopher's life, has been depicted in art.


  • "Diogenes with the Lantern, Searching for People in the Market" by Jacob Jordaens, around 1642, oil on canvas:

  • "Diogenes with Lantern" by Lovis Corinth, 1892, oil on wood:

  • "Diogenes with the Lamp Searching for an Honest Man," attributed to Johann H. W. Tischbein, ca. 1780s, oil on wood



The norm is nonexistent


Another time, he is said to have thrown away his bowl after seeing children drink from their hands and eat their lentil porridge from a hollowed-out loaf of bread—one could say that Diogenes was one of the first and most extreme minimalists.


Fittingly, he had no permanent residence but sometimes slept in an empty wine barrel, which earned him the nickname "Diogenes in the barrel" or "Diogenes in the tub." Additionally, he tried to toughen himself as much as possible, both physically and mentally. For example, he supposedly rolled in scorching hot sand in the summer and hugged snow-covered statues in the winter. To get used to living with unfulfilled desires, he is said to have begged for offerings at statues or graves.


He also shattered social conventions of the time, one after another. For instance, it was considered improper to eat in public back then, which, of course, did not deter Diogenes in the least. He even went so far as to depict the prohibition of cannibalism as a learned habit after hearing about other cultures where it was not unnatural to eat the deceased or sacrifice and then consume children. Allegedly, it was common in Persia at that time for family members to maintain sexual relationships, which led Diogenes to see this "no-go" as merely a social norm standing in the way of naturalness and thus happiness.


However, two points should be noted here: first, it is naturally unknown where Diogenes himself got this information. After all, both claims could be based on rumors. On the other hand, it is disputed whether such thoughts were meant as calls to action or merely as provocative examples of learned customs that evolved into taboos.



Who needs logic?


Similar challenging prompts were provided by him in the field of "dialectics," a discipline that is now comparable to "logic" and is defined as "... a method for acquiring or verifying knowledge. Initially, it often starts from a question-and-answer situation," as Wikipedia explains. Some of the playful conclusions drawn by Diogenes have been preserved. In this way, he mocked rigid logic and replaced it with common sense.


For example:


  • Everything belongs to the gods.

  • The gods are friends of the wise.

  • Friends have everything in common.


It follows: Everything belongs to the wise.



Platons human


He also assessed other philosophers cynically. Plato, a contemporary of Diogenes, was revered by the Athenians for his efforts in various definitions. In particular, his definition of a human as a "featherless, two-footed animal" earned him applause. One day, while Plato was teaching at the Academy as usual, the "mad Socrates," as Diogenes was called by called Plato, burst in with a plucked chicken and shouted, "This is Plato's human!" Afterward, Plato supposedly added the phrase "with flat nails" to his definition.



‘‘Get out of my way‘‘


Even Alexander the Great was interested in the curious old man. During a visit to Athens, he sought out the philosopher and introduced himself with the words, "I am Alexander the Great." Diogenes allegedly responded, unimpressed, "And I am Diogenes the Dog." When Alexander wanted to test his counterpart's contentment and offered to fulfill any wish, Diogenes simply asked, "Please step out of the sun for me."


No wonder the Greek was so unfazed by the royal presence—his values included the absolute equality of all people. This greatly impressed the Macedonian king, who would later go down in history as the greatest conqueror of humanity in just eleven years. He jokingly remarked, "If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes." Quick-witted as always, Diogenes replied, "If I were not Diogenes, I would also like to be Diogenes." This scene is one of the most frequently depicted anecdotes of the philosopher.


from left to right

Image 1: "Alexander and Diogenes," Unknown, likely from the circle of Jan Gerritsz. van Bronckhorst, 17th century

Image 2: "Alexander and Diogenes," Jacques Gamelin, oil on canvas, 1763

Image 3: "Alexander and Diogenes," Caspar de Crayer, oil on canvas, between 1625 and 1630

Image 4: "Alexander and Diogenes," Cornelis de Vos, oil on canvas, 17th century

Image 5: "Alexander the Great and Diogenes," Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, oil on canvas, 1770s

Image 6: "Alexander the Great and Diogenes," Giovanni Paolo Pannini, oil on canvas, early/mid 18th century


The well-known philosopher was thus quite anti-authoritarian, which was also reflected in his political beliefs: he aspired to cosmopolitanism. The word "cosmopolitanism" is composed of the words "cosmos" and "politics" and means what it sounds like – world citizenship. The entire earth is "one state" and thus a home for everyone. Therefore, cosmopolitanism is the opposite of imperialism, which we all learned about in history class. Diogenes referred to himself as the first cosmopolitan (κοσμοπολίτης, kosmopolítēs).



Allow me, I am a dog.


The nickname "citizen of the world" was not the only one that Diogenes acquired over time. As briefly mentioned earlier, he was also referred to as a dog by himself and others. This name, which he bore with pride, originates from an anecdote in which he disrupted a banquet of esteemed Athenian nobles. In response, they threw bones at him and called him a dog. In reply, Diogenes did what dogs occasionally do—he urinated on the table. The comparison to a dog, originally intended as an insult, appealed to Diogenes because the lifestyle of a "street dog," with its lack of needs, closely aligned with the philosopher's ideals. It is merely a coincidence that the term "Cynic" also traces back to a dog, but it fits perfectly.



Image 1: "Statue of Diogenes in Sinop, Turkey," by Turan Baş, 2006

Image 2: "The Grave of Diogenes the Cynic," drawing by the Dutch historian Olmert Dapper, 1688

Image 3: "Diogenes," oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gérôme, 1860



The end of a legend


In his later days, Diogenes was said to have been captured by pirates and sold into slavery. When he was asked at an auction what talents he possessed, he replied, “To govern men.” He also requested to be sold to a certain gentleman named Xeniades. This man, like Alexander the Great before him, was impressed by the self-assurance with which Diogenes made demands even as a slave and complied with them. Both men then traveled to Corinth, where Diogenes was tasked with teaching the sons of Xeniades. Over time, Diogenes became a permanent member of the family and spent his final days in the household of Xeniades.


However, it is not clear who exactly this Xeniades was and whether the story is even accurate. While there was indeed a Xeniades of Corinth, who was also a philosopher, it is speculated that another wealthy citizen named Xeniades may have lived in Corinth as well. The uncertainty regarding this comes from various accounts written by Diogenes Laertius. He worked as a historian of philosophy and authored ten volumes detailing the biographies and beliefs of ancient philosophers, including Diogenes of Sinope.


The circumstances of Diogenes’ death also raise questions. He is said to have lived to the age of 90, so a natural death due to old age would seem likely. However, the alleged causes of death are anything but simple. He is said to have eaten too much raw meat and succumbed to food poisoning or been seriously injured by a dog bite. It was even rumored that he committed suicide by holding his breath.


In my opinion, these are all rather far-fetched reasons; however, it is somewhat understandable to want to deny that such an eccentric person as Diogenes simply "grew too old." For the deceased himself, a mundane death is likely the best option, as it would mean dying in the greatest possible harmony with nature—and that was all that Diogenes of Sinope ultimately desired.



 

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