The World as Will and Idea, Vol. II — Arthur Schopenhauer, trans. Haldane & Kemp

p. 351

B'ov Bvvajxat fiakeeiv Kvva Xva-arjrrjpa." (Diogenes credere se dixit, videre Fortunam, ipsum intuentem, ac dicentem : aut hunc non potui tetigisse canem rabiosum.) The same spirit of cynicism is also shown in the epitaph on Diogenes, in Suidas, under the word <£t\to7co9, and in " Diogenes Laertius," vi. 2 :

m TtjpaffKet fixv x<xKkos ineo xpovov' a\Xo aov ovri KvSos 6 was at«i>, Atoryemjt, Kcâe\ei'

Novvos eirei /Scores avrapicea Sol-av toe^as QnjTots, Kot fwT/s oifiov eXa^poraTijj'."

(^Jra quidem absumit tempus, sed tempore numquam

Interitura tua est gloria, Diogenes : Quandoquidem ad vitam miseris mortalibtis aquam

Monstrata estfacilis, te duce, et ampla via.)

Accordingly the fundamental thought of cynicism is that life in its simplest and nakedest form, with the hardships that belong to it by nature, is the most endurable, and is therefore to be chosen ; for every assistance, convenience, gratification, and pleasure by means of which men seek to make life more agreeable only brings with it new and greater ills than originally belonged to it. Therefore we may regard the following sentence as the expression of the kernel of the doctrine of cynicism : " Atoyevr)*; efioa 7ro\- Xa/a? Xeyaw, rov tcov avdoiTcwv ftiov pahiov xnro rav Oecov BeBoaQai, airoiceicpvcpdcu Be avrov tyjravvronv /J,e\i7rr)Kra /cat fivpa tcai ra 7rapaTr\r]<Ti,a." (Diogenes clamabat scepius, hominum vitam facilem a diis dari, verum occultari Mam qucerentibus mellita cibaria, unguenta et his similia. (Diog., Laert., vi. 2.) And further : " Aeov, avri rcov axpv°"ra)v vovwv, tov<; Kara <pvo~iv ekofievow;, tjgv evBaifiovW rrapa rrjv avoiav icatco8aip,ovov<n. . . . rov avrov ^apaicrqpa rov fiiov Xeywv Bie^ayetv, owrep Kai ' Hpa/cXr]?, fiijBev eXevdrjptas irpoKpiv<ov." (Quum igitur, repudiatis inutUibus laboribus, naturales insequi, ac vivere beate debeamus, per summam dementiam infelices sumtis. . . . eandem vita formam, quam Bercules, se vivere affirmans, nihil libertati prozferens. Ibid) Therefore the old, genuine Cynics, Antisthenes,

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Diogenes, Krates, and their disciples had once for all renounced every possession, all conveniences and pleasures, in order to escape for ever from the troubles and cares, the dependence and the pains, which are inevitably bound up with them and are not counterbalanced by them. Through the bare satisfaction of the most pressing wants and the renunciation of everything superfluous they thought they would come off best.

Accordingly they contented themselves with what in Athens or Corinth was to be had almost for nothing, such as lupines, water, an old threadbare cloak, a wallet, and a staff. They begged occasionally, as far as was necessary to supply such wants, but they never worked. Yet they accepted] absolutely nothing that exceeded the wants referred above.

Independence in the widest sense was their aim.1 They occupied their time in resting, going about, talking! with all men, and much mocking, laughing, and joking their characteristic was carelessness and great cheerfulness.

Since now in this manner of life they had no aim*) of their own, no purposes or ends to pursue, thus we lifted above the sphere of human action, and at the sam<] time always enjoyed complete leisure, they were admirj ably fitted, as men of proved strength of mind, to be thi advisers and admonishers of the rest. Therefore Apuleiui says (Florid., iv.) : " Crates, ut lar familiaris apud homiml suae cetatis cultus est.

Nulla domus ei unquam clausa erat' nee erat patrisfamilias tarn absconditum secretum, quin t] tempestive Crates interveniret, litium omnium et jurgiorui inter propinquos disceptator et arbiter.

Thus in this, as il so many other respects, they show a great likeness to tt mendicant friars of modern times, that is, to the bett< and more genuine among them, whose ideal may be see,1 in the Capucine Christoforo in Manzoni's famous romanc Yet this resemblance lies only in the effects, not in tl cause. They agree in the result, but the fundament thought of the two is quite different. With the friars, with the Sannyasis, who are akin to them, it is an ai