Cynics, The

The Cynics is one of the 16 books that is part of the SSRC Philosophers Series called “Free Thinkers.” The series is an attempt to present the teachings of many of the great philosophers throughout history in a way that average readers without academic backgrounds can easily understand. The first Cynic, Diogenes of Sinope (412-323 BCE), was inspired by Antisthenes, a follower of Socrates. His successor was Crates of Thebes (365-285 BCE), whose wife Hipparchia was also a noted Cynic. The Cynics were not “cynical,” as we use the term today. In contrast, the Cynics were idealists, motivated by their vision of what life should be like. They were seekers of a truth they could live. Diogenes is known for walking through the marketplace in ancient Athens, holding a lantern, saying he was searching for an honest man. The Cynics had no interest in philosophical concepts, abstractions, and speculation, but only in an individual’s actions. Pursuing virtue was the central organizing principle of their lives. However, theirs was not the virtue of outward observance of social convention or external conformity to cultural expectations. Their goal was to live harmoniously with the natural world and conduct their affairs forthrightly and transparently. They rejected almost everything their society claimed was essential, including shelter, manners, regular clothing, and privacy. Their living homeless on the streets of Athens was intended to be provocative, shocking, and theatrical, wishing to confront and unsettle a society steeped in income inequality, excessive materialism, and political corruption.