Unit-10-Diogenes-and-Alexander

UnitTenDiogenesandAlexanderByGilbertHighetPartOneBackgroundinformation:Hellenistic(andRoman)PhilosophyFromthe4thcenturyBCtotheriseofChristianphilosophyinthe4thcenturyAD,themainphilosophicalschoolsintheGreco-Romanworldwere:CynicismEpicureanismStoicismSkepticismNeoplatonismOnthewhole,thesephilosophicaltrendscontinuedtoworkwiththeproblemsraisedbySocrates,Plato,andAristotle.Commontothemallwastheirdesiretodiscoverhowmankindshouldbestliveanddie.Theywereconcernedethics.Themainemphasiswasonfindingoutwhattruehappinesswasandhowitcouldbeachieved.HistoricalNoteHellenismreferstotheperiodofabout300yearsfromtheconquestofAlexandertheGreat(356-323B.C.)ofAthensneartheendoffourthcenturyB.C.totheriseofRomanEmpirearound50B.C.ThetermHellenismreferstoboththeperiodoftimeandtheGreek-dominatedculturethatprevailedinthethreeHellenistickingdomsofMacedonia,Syria,andEgypt.However,fromabouttheyear50B.C.,Romesecuredtheupperhandinmilitaryandpoliticalaffairs.ThenewsuperpowergraduallyconqueredalltheHellenistickingdoms,andfromthenonRomancultureandtheLatinlanguagewerepredominantfromSpaininthewesttofarintoAsia.ThiswasthebeginningoftheRomanperiod,whichweoftenrefertoasLateAntiquity.1.CynicismThestorygoesthatonedaySocratesstoodgazingatastallthatsoldallkindsofwares.Finallyhesaid,“WhatalotofthingsIdon’tneed!”TheCynicSchool,foundedbyAntisthenesinAthensaround400B.C.,whowasapupilofSocrates.2.DiogenesThebestknownoftheCynics,apupilofAntisthenes;livedinabarrelandownednothingbutacloak,astick,andabreadbag.DescribedbyPlatoas“aSocratesgonemad”Forhisvagrantlifestyle,Diogeneswasnicknamed“thedog”(fromwhichthenamecynicisderived”);(Whywashecalledadog?Diogenes:BecauseIfawnuponthosewhogivemeanything,andbarkatthosewhogivemenothing,andbitetherogues.)HewasalsodepictedinTheSchoolofAthens,byRaphaelDiogenes’doctrinePersonalhappinesscouldonlybeachievedbyliving“accordingtonature”;i.e.itissatisfiedbymeetingone'snaturalneeds.Whatisnaturalcannotbeshamefulorindecent.Thismeansoneshouldlivewithextremesimplicity,inuredtowant,andwithoutshame.Externaladvantages,suchasmaterialluxury,politicalpower,orgoodhealth,cannotleadtotruehappiness.Truehappinessliesinnotbeingdependentonsuchrandomandfleetingthings.Truehappinessiswithineveryone’sreach.Moreover,havingoncebeenattained,itcanneverbelost.ThenudeCynicfearsnofireforhistub;ifbroken,hewillmakehimselfanewhouseto-morrow,orkeepitrepairedwithclampsoflead.”--Juvenal,Satires(XIV.308ff)Mostpeoplewereonlyhalf-alive.ThedoglookingforamanHewasreportedaswalkingthroughthemarketplacecarryingalightedlampatnoonandinspectingthefaceofeveryonehemet.Whenaskedwhy,heanswered“Iamtryingtofindaman.”Seeingayoungmanblush,heremarkedthatitwasthecomplexionofvirtue.Seeingachilddrinkingfromhishands,Diogenesthrewawayhiscupandremarked,Achildhasbeatenmeinplainnessofliving.WheninvitedtothehouseofPlato,hetrampleduponhiscarpet,sayingthathetherebytrampledonthevanityofPlato.ToPlato'sdefinitionofamanasananimal,bipedalandfeatherless,Diogenespluckedachickenanddeclared,HereisPlato'sman.3.AlexandertheGreatTheKingofMacedonia(336—323BC)andconquerorofAsiaMinor,Syria,Egypt,Babylonia,andPersia.HisreignmarkedthebeginningoftheHellenisticAge.--IamAlexander,thegreatking.--IamDiogenesthedogDiogeneswasusinghisnicknametoshowhiscontemptforthetitlesothersvalued.--Alexander:“IsthereanythingIcandoforyou?”--Diogenes:“Yes,standtooneside.You’reblockingthesunlight.”“blockingthesunlight”:herehasbothaliteralandasymbolicmeaning:WhenAlexanderaskedDiogeneswhethertherewasanythinghecoulddoforhim,heofcoursewasthinkingofmoney,power,ajob,adecenthouseorawarmgarment.ButDiogenesdidnotwantanyofthese.Whathewantedfromthekingwasnottoblockthesunlight,nottointerferewithhislife,nottostandinhisway.Nowadaystheterms“cynical”and“cynicism”havecometomeanasneeringdisbeliefinhumansincerity,andtheyimplyinsensitivitytootherpeople’ssuffering.Lesson10–DiogenesandAlexanderPlotofthestorySettingofthestoryProtagonistsofthestoryThemeofthestoryPartTwoTextAnalysisPlot:descriptionoftwolegendaryfigures,DiogenesthebeggarandAlexandertheConqueror,andtheirencounterSetting:inalittlesquareinCorinth,GreeceProtagonists:DiogenesandAlexanderThemeofthestory:?Lesson10–DiogenesandAlexanderMenshouldliveafreelife,alifefreefromthedependenciesintroducedbyculture,society,civilizationandopinion.Menarefreewhentheystoptoilingandsweatingonlyforthemselves.Greatmenarefreeandtheyarefewinnumber.ThemeofthestoryThethemeissummedupattheveryend.Part1(paras.1—9)about:Part2(paras.10-11)about:Part3(para.12)about:Part4(paras.13-17)about:Lesson10–DiogenesandAlexanderStructureofthetextPortrait:DiogenesthebeggarDiogenes’response(ascomparedtotheotherpeople’s)tothecomingvisitofAlexanderPortrait:AlexandertheConquerorAlexander’scallonDiogenesPartThreeDetailedDiscussionoftheText1.…helookedlikeabeggaroralunatic.(1)Lunatic:(offensiveslangabbreviation:loony)aninsaneormadorcrazyperson;someonewhoisextremelyfoolishorrecklessWordorigin:Insanitywasoncebelievedtobecontrolledbythemoonanditsphases.Lunaticliterallymeans“moonstruck”,subjecttothechange