Have You Been Influenced By Cynics?

Ancient Cynics-Their Origins and Beliefs

Ancient Greece was a hotbed of discussion and debate.  Over the centuries leading up to our Common Era, men such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle propounded  the philosophies that made them famous.  Their teachings had a profound effect on people, and such ideas are still found in Western culture.

Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.) argued that lasting happiness is not to be found in the pursuit of material things or the enjoyment of Sensual pleasures.  He asserted that true happiness results from a live devoted to the quest for virtue.  Socrates considered virtue to be the ultimate good.  To attain this goal, he rejected material  luxuries and unnecessary endeavors because he felt that these would distract him.  He espoused moderation and self-denial, leading a simple, frugal life.

Socrates developed a mode of teaching known as the Socratic method.  While most thinkers presented an idea and provided supporting arguments, Socrates did the opposite.  He listened to the theories of other philosophers and sought to expose flaws in their ideas.  This approach encouraged a critical and contemptuous attitude toward others.

Among the followers of Socrates was a philosopher named  Antisthenes (about 445-365 B.C.E.) He and a number of others took the basic teaching of Socrates a step further by saying that virtue was the only good.  To them the pursuit of pleasure  was not merely a distraction but a form of  evil.  Becoming extremely antisocial,  they displayed great contempt for fellow humans.  They became known as Cynics.  The name Cynic may have been derived  from a Greek word (ky-ni-kos') that described their morose and surly behavior.  It means "doglike."

Next time: Effect on Their Way of Life

Watchtower, 2000