Publication Details

Abstract

Diogenes’ attitude to sensual pleasure has been for a long time the object of cheap scandalization among laymen, as well as the cause of interpretational variety among the scholar authorities. In the present paper we propose several interpretative options offered by the doxographical records of Diogenes’ attitudes to human sexuality. The author identifies and compares two types of asceticism: the radical on one side and eudaimonistic or hedonistic on the other, which he further refers to as the „Oriental“ and „Greek“ respectively. It is argued, that Diogenes’ position may be classified as moderate, hedonistic asceticism, which is characteristic also for the Greek culture in general. The author also tries to prove that the specific Diogenes’ notion of justice as well as his public masturbation is fully compatible with his historically highly probable attitude to hedonistic asceticism.