Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the life of Diogenes of Sinope, a founder of Cynicism famous for living in a jar and challenging every social norm of ancient Greece. We trace his journey from his exile in Sinope for "debasing the currency" to his ascetic life in Athens, where he owned nothing and rejected conventional values.

Join us as we break down his most legendary anecdotes, including:

• Carrying a lit lamp in daylight to "look for a man";

• Plucking the feathers off a chicken to mock Plato’s definition of man;

• His famous retort to Alexander the Great to "stand a little out of my sun".

We also explore his philosophy of cosmopolitanism—declaring himself a "citizen of the world"—and his lasting legacy, from the Stoics who followed him to the modern psychological syndrome that bears his name.