Diogenes of Sinope: the first freegan

Diogenes in his barrel, where he slept and lived

The mascot of Home-free Living is Diogenes of Synope, a Greek philosopher and “Cynic” (he is actually the originator of the word cynic, more on that later) and a perpetual vagabond and wanderer.

Diogenes may have been the world’s first official freegan-–he was the first espouser of freegan philosophy, at least. He is reputed to have slept in a barrel and eaten for free off of others’ plates. Diogenes was famously skeptical of capitalists, finding it incredulous

“…that misers blamed money but were preposterously fond of it.” […] He often condemned those who praise the just for being superior to money, but who at the same time are eager themselves for great riches. (227)

He (like me) didn’t seem to believe in private property: he was admonished by none other than Plato for eating off his plate:

“At another time [Diogenes] was eating dried figs when Plato met him, and he said to him, “You may have a share of these;” and as he took some and ate them, he said “I said that you might have a share of them, not that you might eat them all!” (this is from Diogenes Laertius’ [a different Diogenes, this one 3rd c. AD] The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, p. 226)

Diogenes was quite fond of pointing out what he viewed as Plato’s hypocrisies. Diogenes’ impression of Plato seems to be that he was a spoiled yuppie contrarian; in another instance, Diogenes makes fun of Plato for eating expensive imported olives that he could’ve bought locally:

On one occasion when he noticed Plato at a very costly entertainment tasting some olives, he said “O you wise man! why, after having sailed to Sicily for the sake of such a feast, do you not now enjoy what you have before you?” And Plato replied “By the Gods, Diogenes, while I was there I ate olives and all such things a great deal.” Diogenes rejoined, “What then did you want to sail to Syracuse for? Did not Attica at that time produce any olives?” (225-6)

Another sample of his commentary on poverty:

A man once asked [Diogenes] what was the proper time for supper, and he made answer, “If you are a rich man, whenever you please; and if you are a poor man, whenever you can.” (231)

I take inspiration from Diogenes in that he managed to be a very happy, contented and respected man who was homeless for philosophical reasons.

Diogenes communes in his barrel

Diogenes and I are both also dog-lovers:

Many anecdotes of Diogenes refer to his dog-like behavior, and his praise of a dog’s virtues. It is not known whether Diogenes was insulted with the epithet “doggish” and made a virtue of it, or whether he first took up the dog theme himself. The modern terms cynic and cynical derive from the Greek word kynikos, the adjective form of kyon, meaning dog.^[39] Diogenes believed human beings live artificially and hypocritically and would do well to study the dog. Besides performing natural bodily functions in public without unease, a dog will eat anything, and make no fuss about where to sleep. Dogs live in the present without anxiety, and have no use for the pretensions of abstract philosophy. In addition to these virtues, dogs are thought to know instinctively who is friend and who is foe. Unlike human beings who either dupe others or are duped, dogs will give an honest bark at the truth. (from Wikipedia, which I don’t like to quote, thought I will when pressed).

All the original source quotes are from The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by 3rd century Greek philosopher Diogenes Laertius. The version I cited is the translation by C.G. Yonge, which you can read online for free here. The section on Diogenes of Sinope starts on page 224.