Diogenes

The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic

Inger N.I. Kuin

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English

Basic Books
01 February 2026

Biography: general; Philosophy; Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500

The life and thought of Diogenes the Cynic, an iconoclastic philosopher who pioneered a brash and free-thinking vision of life that inspired the philosophy of Stoicism

In his own day, the ancient philosopher Diogenes the Cynic had a reputation for eccentricity, dispensing wisdom from a clay pot in the marketplace and relieving himself in public. Since his death in 323 BCE, devoted followers passing on his ideas have made him famous the world over, but often in distorted, sanitized form.

In Diogenes, classicist Inger N.I. Kuin scours all existing evidence of Diogenes and his followers to offer an in-depth account of Diogenes's life and thought, revealing a man whose innovative ideas about power, death, nature, and the body have much to teach the contemporary world. He pioneered a vision of simplicity and autonomy in his day-to-day life, stressing the importance of living in the here and now, and of always thinking for oneself. Diogenes stands apart as history's first recorded critic of slavery and a proud exile from polite society whose challenging thought proved foundational for the Stoics and their successors.

Diogenes rehabilitates Diogenes as a compelling thinker for the twenty-first century, one who demands that we look at our society with fresh eyes and be unafraid of change-starting with ourselves.

By: Inger N.I. Kuin
Imprint: Basic Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 238mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 492g
ISBN: 9781541606470
ISBN 10: 1541606477
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Inger N.I. Kuin is an assistant professor of classics at the University of Virginia. Born in the Netherlands, she worked as a journalist before receiving an MA in philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and a PhD in classics from NYU. She divides her time between Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Charlottesville, Virginia.

Reviews for Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic

""A crisp, accessible, and engaging portrait of the enigmatic philosopher.""--Kirkus ""How did a contrary, clay-pot-dwelling, 4th century BC original plant an explosion in thought that would continue to detonate from the Stoics and the Cynics, to Erasmus, Rousseau, and Foucault? Inger Kuin returns Diogenes to his context, peeling away the myths, approaching her idiosyncratic subject on his own terms, acknowledging the myriad holes in the record, and probing a philosophy that--in lesser hands--might seem composed largely of perverse punch-lines. A rich, engaging portrait of intellectual fearlessness.""--Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra