Cynicism

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In the history of political thought, Cynics are often regarded as the first anarchists , because they regarded the destruction of the state—which, owing to its hierarchical nature, was the cause of a plethora of misfortunes—as the only salvation for the human species. However, Cynics were equally skeptical of democracy and freedom, which entail duties that compromise self-sufficiency and provide rights that are unnecessary.

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But the Cynic s, unlike Socrates, treated all conventional distinctions and cultural traditions as impediments to the life of virtue. They advocated a life in accordance with nature and regarded animals and human beings who did not live in societies as being closer to nature than contemporary human….

Behind his rejection of traditional allegiances lay a profound concern with moral values. Antisthenes and the Cynic s used the Cynosarges gymnasium to the southeast of the city. A word with surprisingly literal origins.

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Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time. Examples of cynicism in a Sentence Nothing could change her cynicism about politics. Then the birds came calling," 24 May Thanks to Beckham's hot-headed naivety and Simeone's cynicism , England were now in a dire predicament. First Known Use of cynicism , in the meaning defined at sense 1. History and Etymology for cynicism see cynic. He preached a life of poverty , but his teachings also covered language , dialogue and literature in addition to the pure Ethics which the later Cynics focused on.

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Antisthenes was followed by Diogenes of Sinope , who lived in a tub on the streets of Athens, and ate raw meat, taking Cynicism to its logical extremes. Diogenes dominates the story of Cynicism like no other figure, and he came to be seen as the archetypal Cynic philosopher.

He dedicated his life to self-sufficiency "autarkeia" , austerity "askesis" and shamelessness "anaideia" , and was famed for his biting satire and wit. Crates of Thebes c. Other notable Greek Cynics include Onesicritus c.