Cynics

Cynics were a school of ancient Greek philosophy that arose in the 4th century BCE in Athens. They argued that virtue is the only good and that living a virtuous life requires rejecting conventional wealth, power, and social norms. The term derives from kynikos, meaning “dog-like,” a label directed at their shamelessness and disregard for social pretensions. Antisthenes is often regarded as the founder, while Diogenes of Sinope became the most famous representative and a symbol of Cynic practice. Other notable figures include Crates of Thebes and Hipparchia of Maroneia.

The core ideas center on living in accordance with nature and achieving self-sufficiency through asceticism. Cynics urged the rejection of luxury, wealth, rank, and conventional pleasures, arguing that external goods are indifferent and that true happiness comes from virtue alone. They promoted autonomy (autarkeia), a cosmopolitan outlook, and a disdain for social conventions and pretensions. The Cynics also believed that social institutions often corrode virtue and that true freedom comes from independence of mind.

Cynics used provocative methods to critique society, employing public demonstrations, satire, and blunt speech. Diogenes, for example, is associated with bold acts designed to expose hypocrisy and dependence on social status. Their style sought to shock audiences into reevaluating values rather than to teach through doctrine alone.

Influence and legacy: Cynicism contributed to the ethical program later associated with Stoicism, particularly the emphasis on virtue as sufficient for happiness and on self-sufficiency. In later periods, Roman writers popularized Cynic themes. In modern usage, cynicism typically denotes a general distrust of others’ motives, a shift from the philosophical project of the Cynics, though the term’s roots remain linked to their critique of societal values.