Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic

by Inger N.I. Kuin Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Overview

The life and thought of Diogenes the Cynic, an iconoclastic philosopher who pioneered a brash and free-thinking vision of life that inspired the philosophy of Stoicism-“a rich, engaging portrait of intellectual fearlessness” (Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra)

In his own day, the ancient philosopher Diogenes the Cynic had a reputation for eccentricity, heckling his fellow philosophers in the marketplace, living in a clay pot, and relieving himself in public. Since his death in 323 BCE, devoted followers made him and his ideas famous the world over. But what we think we know about Diogenes remains distorted and sanitized.

In Diogenes, classicist Inger N.I. Kuin scours all existing evidence of Diogenes and his followers to offer an in-depth account of Diogenes' life and thought, revealing a man whose innovative ideas about power, death, nature, and the body have much to teach the contemporary world. He pioneered a vision of simplicity and autonomy in his day-to-day life, stressing the importance of living in the here and now, and of always thinking for oneself. Diogenes stands apart as history's first recorded critic of slavery and a proud exile from polite society whose challenging thought proved foundational for the Stoics and their successors.

Diogenes rehabilitates Diogenes as a compelling thinker for the twenty-first century, one who demands that we look at our society with fresh eyes and be unafraid of change-starting with ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A crisp, accessible, and engaging portrait of the enigmatic philosopher."—Kirkus

“How did a contrary, clay-pot-dwelling, 4th century BCE original plant an explosion in thought that would continue to detonate from the Stoics and the Cynics, to Erasmus, Rousseau, and Foucault? Inger Kuin returns Diogenes to his context, peeling away the myths, approaching her idiosyncratic subject on his own terms, acknowledging the myriad holes in the record, and probing a philosophy that—in lesser hands—might seem composed largely of perverse punch-lines. A rich, engaging portrait of intellectual fearlessness.”—Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Cleopatra

“We needed a book on Diogenes the Cynic, and Inger Kuin has given us a must-read, wonderful exploration of the life and thought of one of the most outrageous philosophers in the history of humanity. May we succeed in finding our next Dog.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic

“Inger Kuin brilliantly brings to life one of antiquity’s most colorful philosophers. Highlighting this extraordinary figure’s fearless counterculturalism,  radical views on slavery, and profound influence even today, Kuin expertly captures Diogenes’ distinctive character, rooted equally in an unwavering moral integrity and an unquenchable desire to mock human vanities. A joy.”—Tim Whitmarsh, author of Battling the Gods

Kirkus Reviews

2025-07-04
Finding Diogenes, a philosopher who thought outside the box.

University of Virginia classics professor Kuin puts her own witty spin on the oft-quoted, witty Greek Cynic philosopher. Telling his story is “difficult” because no works by him survive. Stories about him are often hard to believe. And yet, she argues, he was “antiquity’s most independent and original mind, and his vision of simplicity, autonomy, and living in accordance with nature has much to offer in our contemporary world.” He’s a slippery fish to pin down—“A traveler and a stranger wherever he went but never at a loss for words.” She believes the debated famous meeting between Alexander and Diogenes did occur. He was probably born around 410 B.C.E. in northern Turkey and as a young man was exiled to Athens, where, Kuin believes, he lived in a big earthenware pot in a marketplace, using his cape as a blanket, living off alms and dinner invitations and comparing himself to a mouse. Plato, with whom Diogenes often disagreed, nicknamed him “the Dog.” A disinterested agnostic, he lived to “redefine the nature of philosophical inquiry,” often with morbid humor. Kuin sees his key values as the rejection of social norms; physical training; and shamelessness (he was known to pee and masturbate in public). His approach to “human pleasures, needs, and desires,” which he denied himself, “was entirely new” and “would prove enormously influential in later periods.” For Diogenes, freedom is “achieving self-reliance” throughaskesis―ascetic practices. He had a fearless irreverence toward rulers. The author calls him the “founder of modern cosmopolitanism,” in which all humans are considered equal members of a world community, and believes he was a unique “lone voice against slavery” who ridiculed and rejected the idea of an afterlife. Kuin concludes by looking at his impact on others, including Erasmus, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Foucault, and even, perhaps, Jesus.

A crisp, accessible, and engaging portrait of the enigmatic philosopher.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195119911
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	11/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged