| Subject: Whatever happen to staying power? Did it leave? |
Author:
Diogenes
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Date Posted: 20:46:34 11/09/09 Mon
Diogenes; Cynic
Cynic Ethics
Foremost for understanding the Cynic conception of ethics is that virtue is a life lived in accord with nature. Nature offers the clearest indication of how to live the good life, which is characterized by reason, self-sufficiency, and freedom. Social conventions, however, can hinder the good life by compromising freedom and setting up a code of conduct that is opposed to nature and reason. Conventions are not inherently bad; however, for the Cynic, conventions are often absurd and worthy of ridicule. The Cynics deride the attention paid to the Olympics, the “big thieves” who run the temples and are seen carrying away the “little thieves” who steal from them, politicians as well as the philosophers who attend their courts, fashion, and prayers for such things as fame and fortune.
Only once one has freed oneself from the strictures that impede an ethical life can one be said to be truly free. As such, the Cynics advocate askēsis, or practice, over theory as the means to free oneself from convention, promote self-sufficiency, and live in accord with nature. Such askēsis leads the Cynic to live in poverty, embrace hardship and toil, and permits the Cynic to speak freely about the silly, and often vicious, way life is lived by his or her contemporaries. The Cynics consistently undermine the most hallowed principles of Athenian culture, but they do so for the sake of replacing them with those in accord with reason, nature, and virtue.
Me: in it strictest sense living a natural life, especially in these times, is quite impossible as imposed convention foisted upon those of us who mean no harm and do not desire harm visited upon ourselves by non thinkers.
By-in-large I have lived my life as I please but do not suffer fools gladly, as the expression goes.
I have found with the rare exception that we human animals are as easily corralled and domesticated as livestock. We have been offered and readily accept as a matter of course to have our thinking done for us.
In the town where I presently take up my abode democracy is quite unnecessary as the status quo is maintained through apathy, to wit:
No election for Willow Bunch in 2009
4:00 P.M. Thursday Oct 1, 2009
Residents of Saskatchewan's urban municipalities head to the polls
on Oct. 28 to decide the composition of their councils -- but not in
Willow Bunch, where each candidate has been elected by acclamation.
The new council for the Town of Willow Bunch is a follows:
* The position for Mayor was filled by:
NAME OCCUPATION
BISSONNETTE, Renaud Self-Employed
Owner of the local trouble spot and drinking hole
* The positions for Councillor was filled by:
NAME OCCUPATION
DROUIN, Jay Electrician
JOYAL, Wayne Surveyor
FAFARD, Gisele Retired
KLEIM, Gerri Home Maker
BOUVIER, Henri Retired
GELLNER, Gordon Disabled
Visit our Municipal Elections page for more information on this fall's election.
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