Diogenes

[jaybreak]

If I had to be a Greek philosopher (heaven help me), I'd be Diogenes of Sinope. Even Diogenes himself agrees with me.

while Diogenes was relaxing in the morning sunlight, Alexander, thrilled to meet the famous philosopher, asked if there was any favour he might do for him. Diogenes replied, "Yes, stand out of my sunlight." Alexander then declared, "If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes." "If I were not Diogenes, I would still wish to be Diogenes," Diogenes replied.

In another account of the conversation, Alexander found the philosopher looking attentively at a pile of human bones. Diogenes explained, "I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave."

Burn! How'd that feel, Alex?

[Ed Hurst]

I suppose placing myself against the backdrop of our times, I would tend to look more like a Cynic than almost any other Greek school of philosophy.

[jaybreak]

I suppose placing myself against the backdrop of our times, I would tend to look more like a Cynic than almost any other Greek school of philosophy.

Agreed. Their asceticism and anti-materialism is appealing, though like any Greek school they held reason as the highest form of knowledge. Their actual livelihood resembled OT prophets...on the surface, at least.

[IainH]

I took a class "introduction to Philosophy" in HS. It is really appealing to young minds. As I get older I find it mostly horsefeathers that does not pay my bills.

[jaybreak]

I took a class "introduction to Philosophy" in HS. It is really appealing to young minds. As I get older I find it mostly horsefeathers that does not pay my bills.

It definitely doesn't pay any bills. Don't know the stats, but I want to bet that most people who get really deep into philosophy don't have any bills to pay.