Philosophy reimagined?

[jimbogumbo]

I for one learned some new things about the cynics (ick):https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2023/06/western-philosophy-plato-athens-diogenes-cynic-books/674368/

[Parasaurolophus]

I don't have much to say, save that I hadn't heard about this book, and it sounds interesting. I'm no scholar of ancient philosophy, but I wouldn't have guessed there was enough extant material out there to fuel much of a biography (or, indeed, much of a sideways look at Diogenes, anecdotes of whom are always fun).

[Diogenes]

Can confirm. I am very fun.

[Myword]

Same here. Not much I already knew.

Any biography of Plato will be promise, not substance because so very little is known.
An impossible task to describe the man's life.and comparing Plato to Diogenes (who sounds like a nut) is superfluous and unwise. Maybe the author has disparaging motives? I won't read it.



 I remember that Plato is said to love olives at a buffet. Me, too.

[jimbogumbo]

Same here. Not much I already knew.

Any biography of Plato will be promise, not substance because so very little is known.
An impossible task to describe the man's life.and comparing Plato to Diogenes (who sounds like a nut) is superfluous and unwise. Maybe the author has disparaging motives? I won't read it.



 I remember that Plato is said to love olives at a buffet. Me, too.

I think it is actually describing two different books, one about Plato and one about Diogenes. I'm certainly not going to read either with now tiny attention span.

[downer]

I am rather partial to Diogenes of Sinope. He sounds like a big character, and he had a much more interesting life than Plato.

I imagine that much of the book is about the tradition of Cynicism as well as lots of speculation.