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concept4th century BCE-3rd century CE

Cynics

Disciplines:
ethics
philosophy/social philosophy

Summary

Ancient philosophical movement founded by Antisthenes and radicalized by Diogenes of Sinope, holding that virtue consists in living according to nature and reason, and that convention, wealth, honor, and social institutions are obstacles to the good life.

Core Contribution

Established the philosophical tradition of radical counter-cultural critique as embodied practice — using shamelessness, humor, and deliberate poverty to expose the contradictions of conventional society.

Historical Influences

Antisthenes Diogenes of Sinope

Intellectual Lineage

No conceptual lineage found.

Allied Works

Enchiridion Meditations

Contemporaries & Peers

No recorded contemporaries.

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

No conceptual posterity found.

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Cynics

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