Tub Thumping
Diogenes is totally awesome. If you are unfamiliar with the man, you should get acquainted…like right now.
This comic is not really under the general theme of monsters and mythology but Diogenes has become an almost legendary character of the ancient world. There are so many quotes and anecdotes about him, each more ridiculous than the last. The man lived in a tub in Athens, harassed young fops, and ridiculed Plato and other thinkers as often as he could. Part comedian, part philosopher, Diogenes clearly shook up the thoughts and minds of his contemporaries; something we could really use more of today. He was a think-outside-the-box sort of guy, always ready with a quick and often sarcastic retort. His rivalry with Plato was the stuff of legend. For example: when asked to define a human being, Plato replied “A featherless biped.” Diogenes went out and grabbed a fowl of some sort, plucked it, walked back into the forum, held it up for all to see, and declared, “Behold! A human being!”
There are other instances of this sort of thing. Diogenes was, essentially, a philosophical stuntman, the intellectual Evil-Kenevil of his day, and as such, he is easily my favourite historical figure.
Discussion (12) ¬
would like to put my fav. annecdote:
Plato was discoursing on his theory of ideas and, pointing to the cups on the table before him, said while there are many cups in the world, there is only one `idea’ of a cup, and this cupness precedes the existence of all particular cups.
“I can see the cup on the table,” interupted Diogenes, “but I can’t see the `cupness'”.
“That’s because you have the eyes to see the cup,” said Plato, “but”, tapping his head with his forefinger, “you don’t have the intellect with which to comprehend `cupness’.”
Diogenes walked up to the table, examined a cup and, looking inside, asked, “Is it empty?”
Plato nodded.
“Where is the `emptiness’ which procedes this empty cup?” asked Diogenes.
Plato allowed himself a few moments to collect his thoughts, but Diogenes reached over and, tapping Plato’s head with his finger, said “I think you will find here is the `emptiness’.”
with the addition of “ooooo snap, ancient philosipher burn!”
Damn, that’s badass.
I too have a mad love for Diogenes. Remember that time he sassed Alexander the Great?
“Well, you could stop blocking my light.” Classic.
Thank you for showing me just about THE coolest philosopher. How I have never read anything of his ideas will remain a mystery to me.
oooh sweet i was learning about him last week in classical civilizations class! his bath tub looked huge in the picture we got
thought you would love this,
Diogenes syndrome, also known as senile squalor syndrome, is a disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, social withdrawal, apathy, tendency to hoard rubbish and lack of shame
love the comic, every time you update ht, my day becomes a little sunnier.
I prefer to see those amazing mythological creatures, but it was interesting from the stripes, and after that, with the explanation. 😀
LOL! Perfect.
hes not mad, he’s just confused as to why he’s in your bathtub
Diogenes never wrote anything. Lived in a barrel and was rude to everyone. Alexander the great, upon seeing his squalor asked him if there was anything he could do for him. ‘Yes’, Diogenes replied. ‘Move, you’re blocking my light’.
i can’t believe you know of these things! no one knows about this stuff! that’s why you’re my favorite comic artist.