Welcome
Welcome back! In this session, we’re going to be talking about the reports of Diogenes the Cynic from Diogenes Laërtius, whom you read for your homework. Today, we will talk about living in accord with nature.
First, we’ll get you talking about your overall impressions of Diogenes. Remember that these are reports of him by others, so may not be entirely accurate.
- What do you find appealing or attractive about Diogenes or his way of life?
- What do you find unappealing or unattractive?
- What can Diogenes teach us today about the arts of living?
The Art of Living in Accord With Nature
This is an exercise we didn’t get around to doing last time. Let’s try thinking about this non-verbally.
What does it mean to live a natural life? Draw an image of what you imagine.
Writing Exercise
- What in your life is not in accord with nature?
- Would it be better to live more in accord with nature? Why? Or why not?
The Paradox of Living Naturally
One paradox in these accounts of Diogenes is that he stresses both living naturally, and also training. He works really hard to do what comes naturally. But the mouse that he observes, and that starts his journey towards a more natural way of living, doesn’t do this. It doesn’t struggle to live naturally. It just gets on with being a mouse. This opens up a bunch of interesting questions about living naturally that lead us from the Cynics to the Stoics.
- Diogenes has to strive to live naturally. What is it about human beings that means that living naturally doesn’t come naturally to us?
- Is striving to live naturally unnatural?
- To what extent to do you think Diogenes is living naturally? And to what extent is he performing natural living as a way of critiquing his peers?
Homework
Read the whole Enchiridion by Epictetus, and make some notes on Canvas.