Diogenes: The First World Citizen

Diogenes (BCE 404 to 323) is a perfect example of a Cynic. Cynic is a member of philosophical sect, who does not believe in kings and kingdoms and nations and nationhood. They flourished in fourth century BCE. He lived a life of a tramp, without any house and home. Towards the end of his life, he slept in public buildings, and begged his food. He advocated shamelessness, outspokenness, and austerity. Cynics advocated free access to goods, but was averse to ownership. He was influenced by Antisthenes another Greek philosopher of Cynic school.

Life:-

Diogenes was a citizen of Sinope. He was exiled for defacing the currency. It was not clear whether he defaced it or his father Hicesius defaced it or it was defaced out of wear and tear. It must have been a gossip by his enemies, opponents of his philosophical ideas. Anyhow he was forced to leave Sinope for Athens. Sinope is on a narrow isthmus connecting mainland Turkey to Boztepe Peninsula. Its geographical position made it a natural port.

Once in Athens, he took a tub or a pithos as his abode. He found that he had no need of conventional a shelter. The legend is that a mouse taught him to sleep without a shelter. There must have been enough tribes who never had a house or even a chattel to sleep. The first century document Periplus Maris Erythraea gives enough examples of cave dwellers. This example of a lesson from mouse might have been a narrative by his enemies to belittle him.

It was the last phase of the rise of Janapadas in Indian subcontinent. A period of transition from tribal settlements to Kingdoms. There were semi nomadic pastrol communities. Gradually they shift to farming, which necessitated permanent settlement, and the rise of kingdoms and the earliest rise of the class of politicians. With the rise of kings, came the concept of patriotism, evolved mainly to protect the interests of the king. 

Key Aspects of his philosophy:
Diogenes rejected the local identities, declaring himself, a citizen of the world. It may be noted that the idea of patriotism was originated with the rise of city states. Diogenes who lived in Athens rejected the idea and declared himself as the citizen of the world.










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