Well-written and engaging, this volume explores the most important questions and issues that have absorbed philosophers over the past twenty-five centuries. The quest to define reality, the problem of the existence of God, the search for moral values, the problem of evil, the discovery of the self, and other philosophical issues are clearly outlined in six thematic chapters. The ideas of ancient, medieval, and modern philosophers are integrated into a reflective and compelling narrative, which aims at emphasizing the timeless relevance of these questions and concerns and at eliciting from...

More than a school of philosophy with a defined set of beliefs and convictions, classical Cynicism represents an unconventional sect of philosophers and a way of life. This is a complete account of classical Cynicism from its beginnings in the Socratic circle to its extinction in late Roman times. In this thoroughly documented study, Navia explores various issues related to the sources of information about the Cynics, the development of Cynicism, and the principal representatives of classical Cynicism. Exploring the relationship between classical Cynicism and cynicism as understood in its...

The life and teachings of Diogenes of Sinope, the Greek philosopher who gave rise to classical Cynicism, deserve careful consideration because of their relevance to contemporary ethical issues. The task of reconstructing the philosopher's life, however, is exceedingly difficult, because in his case, more than in those of other ancient philosophers, we must deal not only with the scarcity of reliable sources and testimonies, but also with the mountains of anecdotal and fictional accounts that are responsible for the creation of a veritable literary legend around the Cynic who once lived in...

Luis E. Navia provides a comprehensive examination of the ideas and contributions of a Greek philosopher who was influential in the development of classical Cynicism. Based on both primary and secondary sources as well as the findings of modern scholarship, it is a unique contribution to the study of Antisthenes. An important philosopher, only two English-language books about him have been published in the last eighty years. With his clear and accessible narrative style, Navia succeeds in reconstructing Antisthenes' biography resurrecting this ancient philosopher's ideas as still relevant...

A detailed research work for the study of the origins, development, and significance of the Cynical movement among the Greeks and Romans. The purpose of this volume is to provide bibliographical information on over 650 books and articles dealing with various aspects of Cynicism. These works were written as early as the 16th century and as recently as 1994 in a variety of languages. This volume includes numerous revealing quotations from the annotated works. It is a valuable research instrument for anyone interested in the history of ideas.

The contributions of the Cynic philosophers,...

Well-written and engaging, this volume explores the most important questions and issues that have absorbed philosophers over the past twenty-five centuries. The quest to define reality, the problem of the existence of God, the search for moral values, the problem of evil, the discovery of the self, and other philosophical issues are clearly outlined in six thematic chapters. The ideas of ancient, medieval, and modern philosophers are integrated into a reflective and compelling narrative, which aims at emphasizing the timeless relevance of these questions and concerns and at eliciting from...