Diogenes and Cynic Philosophy in Early Christianity
Early Christian writers often used Diogenes and the Cynics as examples of pride, shamelessness, or empty philosophy. Theophilus, Tatian, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Justin, Clement, and Lactantius all speak about them, mostly in criticism. Clement also gives a simple historical note about the start of the Cynic school. The page is strongest for showing how Christians argued against Cynic philosophy, while a few passages are more neutral or mixed.
111 early-church witnesses · 199 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about diogenes and Cynic Philosophy?
Early Christian writers usually treated Diogenes and the Cynic way as a weak or shameful kind of philosophy, not as a model for Christians. Theophilus, Tatian, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Justin, and Lactantius all use Diogenes or the Cynics to criticize pride, shamelessness, poverty-boasting, or empty speech.
Clement also gives a more neutral historical note by tracing the Cynic school to Antisthenes, and Minucius Felix treats some Greek philosophers more favorably in their talk about God. Overall, the evidence is broad that Christians often argued against Cynic philosophy, but it is mixed because a few writers used philosophical language more positively or only mentioned Diogenes as a well-known example.
Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christian writers usually criticized Diogenes and the Cynics as examples of empty or shameless philosophy.
- Clement of Alexandria gives a basic history of the Cynic school through Antisthenes.
- Some writers used the word 'philosophy' more positively in general, but not as praise for Cynic teaching.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians reject Cynic philosophy?
Yes. Theophilus, Tatian, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Justin, and Lactantius use Diogenes or the Cynics as examples of useless, shameless, or empty philosophy. Their point is usually that Christian truth is better than the Cynic life or that Cynic ideas do not lead to real wisdom.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
For the cynic Diogenes used to go about, lantern in hand, at mid-day to find a man;
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching
What could be said that is more contradictory? If the teachings of philosophy ought to be known, they ought to be known for this reason: so that we may live well and wisely. But if we must live as members of a community, then philosophy is not wisdom, if it is better to live according to society than according to philosophy. For if what is called philosophy is wisdom, then the man who does not live according to philosophy certainly lives foolishly. But if the man who lives according to society does not live foolishly, it follows that the man who lives according to philosophy lives foolishly. Therefore, by your own judgment, philosophy is condemned as foolish and empty. And you also, in your Consolation, that is, not in a work of lightness and amusement, expressed this view about philosophy: "But I do not know what error has taken hold of us, or what miserable ignorance of the truth." Where, then, is the guidance of philosophy? Or what has that parent of life taught you, if you are miserably ignorant of the truth? But if this confession of error and ignorance has been forced from your inmost heart, almost against your will, why do you not finally admit to yourself the truth: that ph
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...ur father, Marcus Tullius, and in your judgment worthy to be sewn up in a bag, because we deny that philosophy is the parent of life? Or do you, who are so wickedly ungrateful toward God—not that god whose image you worship as he sits in the Capitol, but Him who made the world and created man, and who also gave wisdom among His heavenly gifts—call philosophy the teacher of virtue or the parent of life? From whom you learned this, one must be in much greater uncertainty than he was before. For what virtue is she the teacher of? Even to the present time, philosophers do not explain where virtue is found. Of what life is she the parent? Since the teachers themselves have been worn out by old age and death before they decided on the proper way of life. Of what truth can you present her as a discoverer? Since you often testify that, among so great a multitude of philosophers, not one wise man has yet existed. What, then, did that mistress of life teach you? Was it to attack the most powerful consul with insults, and by your poisoned speeches make him the enemy of his country? But let us pass over those things, which may be excused under the name of fortune. You truly gave yourself to
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
Philosophers verily would wish to collect together such hearers of their discourses as exhort men to virtue — a practice which certain of the Cynics especially have followed, who converse publicly with those whom they happen to meet.
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Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Direct teaching
Diogenes with his company of dogs, who professes that great and perfect virtue in the contempt of all things, preferred to beg for his support, rather than to seek it by honest labour, or to have any property.
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Tertullian, Apology Supporting witness
If I maintain our superior modesty of behaviour, there at once occurs to me Diogenes with filth-covered feet trampling on the proud couches of Plato, under the influence of another pride: the Christian does not even play the proud man to the pauper.
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Justin Martyr, The Second Apology Supporting witness
at least he does not regard that Socratic and most admirable saying: “But a man must in no wise be honoured before the truth.” But it is impossible for a Cynic, who makes indifference his end, to know any good but indifference.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
For why should I speak of the Cynics, who practised licentiousness in public?
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Tatian, Address to the Greeks Supporting witness
and if you receive nothing, you indulge in abuse, and philosophy is with you the art of getting money.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...m others, so all the others take it away from that sect. For those who accuse it of folly are still philosophers. Whatever sect you praise and declare to be true, philosophers condemn as false. Shall we therefore believe the one that praises itself and its own teaching, or the many that blame one another's ignorance? What is held by many must necessarily be better than what is held by one alone. For no one can rightly judge himself, as the famous poet testifies. Human nature is so made that people see and judge the affairs of others better than their own. Since, therefore, all things are uncertain, we must either believe all or believe none. If we are to believe no one, then wise men do not exist, because while they separately claim different things, they think themselves wise. If we are to believe all, it is just as true that there are no wise men, because all deny the wisdom of each one individually. Therefore, all are destroyed in this way. And like those fabled sparti of the poets, these men kill one another, so that none of them is left. This happens for this reason: they have a sword, but they have no shield. If, therefore, the individual sects are convicted of folly by th
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...d in one united voice bear witness that the world was made and that it was the work of God—even the philosophers almost all agree. For this is the view of the Pythagoreans, the Stoics, and the Peripatetics, who are the chief schools of every sect. In short, from those first seven wise men down to Socrates and Plato, this was held as an accepted and unquestioned fact, until many ages later when the mad Epicurus appeared. He alone dared to deny what is most clear, no doubt because he wanted to discover new ideas so that he might establish a sect under his own name. And because he could find nothing new, he wanted at least to seem different from the others, and so he tried to overthrow old opinions. But in this, all the philosophers who snarled around him refuted him. Therefore, it is more certain that the world was arranged by providence than that matter was gathered together by providence. Therefore he ought not to have supposed that the world was not made by divine providence because its matter was not made by divine providence. Rather, because the world was made by divine providence, he ought to have concluded that matter also was made by God. For it is more believable that mat
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Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic sect, who thought that bodily pleasure was the chief good, ought to be removed from the number of philosophers, and from the society of men, because he compared himself to a beast.
Did any early Christian writers give Cynics a neutral or mixed reading?
Yes. Clement of Alexandria gives a short historical account of Antisthenes introducing the Cynic philosophy, and Minucius Felix names Antisthenes among Greek thinkers in a discussion of beliefs about God. These passages are more descriptive than hostile, but they do not turn Cynic philosophy into a Christian ideal.
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Minucius Felix, Octavius Supporting witness
...he opinion of this original philosopher completely agrees with ours. Afterward Anaximenes, and then Diogenes of Apollonia, decide that the air, infinite and without measure, is God. The agreement of these also about the Divinity is like ours. The description of Anaxagoras also is that God is said to be the motion of an infinite mind. And the God of Pythagoras is the soul passing to and fro and intent throughout the whole nature of things, from whom also the life of all animals is received. It is a known fact that Xenophanes delivered that God was all infinity with a mind, and Antisthenes, that there are many gods of the people, but that the one God of Nature was chief of all. Xeuxippus acknowledged as God a natural animal force by which all things are governed. What does Democritus say? Although he was the first discoverer of atoms, does he not especially speak of nature, which is the basis of forms, and intelligence, as God? Strato also says that God is nature. Moreover, Epicurus, the man who invents either idle gods or none at all, still places Nature above all. Aristotle varies, but nevertheless assigns a unity of power. For at one time he says that Mind is God, at another th
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Minucius Felix, Octavius Supporting witness
Afterwards Anaximenes, and then Diogenes of Apollonia, decide that the air, infinite and unmeasured, is God.
Common Questions
Did early Christians approve of Diogenes and Cynic philosophy?
Mostly no. Writers like Theophilus, Tatian, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, and Lactantius use Diogenes or the Cynics as negative examples.
Did any early Christian writers mention Diogenes without attacking him?
Yes. Clement of Alexandria gives a historical note about Antisthenes introducing Cynic philosophy, and Minucius Felix mentions Antisthenes and other philosophers in a more neutral discussion.
Why did early Christians criticize the Cynics?
They often linked the Cynics with pride, shamelessness, false freedom, or a life that was not guided by Christ.
Source Index for Diogenes and Cynic Philosophy
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 199 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 111
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 80 shown of 88
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.