Cynics

Once regarded as a minor Socratic school, Cynicism is now admired as one of the more creative and influential philosophical movements in antiquity. First arising in the city-states of late classical Greece, Cynicism thrived through the Hellenistic and Roman periods, until the triumph of Christianity and the end of pagan antiquity. In every age down to the present, its ideals of radical simplicity and freedom have alternately inspired and disturbed onlookers. This book presents the first general survey of Cynicism in antiquity for over fifty years. Drawing on a wealth of new research, William Desmond offers a comprehensive study of the most important ancient Cynics and their ideas, examining their rejection of various traditional customs and the rebellious life-style for which they were notorious. Desmond considers both the fragmentary ancient evidence on the Cynics and the historical interpretations that have shaped Cynic philosophy over later centuries. The central chapters locate major Cynic themes - its critique of convention, praise of natural simplicity, advocacy of self-sufficiency, defiance of Fortune, and celebration of freedom - within the rich matrix of ideas debated by the ancient schools and shows that far from being pessimistic or nihilistic, as modern uses of the term "cynic" suggest, the ancient Cynics were astonishingly optimistic regarding human nature. Cynics offers a fascinating introduction to some of the most colourful personalities of antiquity and a school of thought which continues to generate much philosophical interest today.