The philosophy of cynicism - William D. Desmond

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

In the 4th century BCE,

在西元前第四世紀，

a banker’s son threw the city of Sinope into scandal by counterfeiting coins.

一位銀行家的兒子因為假造錢幣

而讓錫諾普市陷入醜聞。

When the dust finally settled, the young man, Diogenes of Sinope,

等風波終於平息，這位年輕人， 錫諾普的戴亞吉尼斯，

had been stripped of his citizenship, his money, and all his possessions.

失去了他的公民權、 金錢，和所有的財產。

At least, that’s how the story goes.

至少，故事是這樣說的。

While many of the details of Diogenes’ life are shadowy,

雖然戴亞吉尼斯的 許多人生細節都很模糊，

the philosophical ideas born out of his disgrace survive today.

從他的不光彩行為所產生的 哲學想法卻存活至今。

In exile, Diogenes decided that by rejecting the opinions of others

被放逐的戴亞吉尼斯決定 不要在乎他人的意見

and societal measures of success, he could be truly free.

以及社會對於成功的衡量方式， 這樣他才能真正獲得自由。

He would live self-sufficiently, close to nature, without materialism,

他能夠過著自給自足、 接近大自然的生活，

沒有唯物主義、虛榮，或順從。

vanity, or conformity.

In practice, this meant he spent years wandering around Greek cities

實際上，這表示他數年間都 一直在希臘城市附近流浪，

with nothing but a cloak, staff, and knapsack—

身上只有斗篷、拐杖、背包——

outdoors year-round, forgoing technology, baths, and cooked food.

整年都在戶外，放棄科技、

洗澡、熟食。

He didn’t go about this new existence quietly,

他並不是靜靜地過這種新生活，

but is said to have teased passers-by and mocked the powerful,

據說他會取笑過路的人， 並嘲笑有權者，

eating, urinating and even masturbating in public.

還會在大廳廣眾之下吃東西、 撒尿，甚至手淫。

The citizens called him a kyôn— a barking dog.

市民稱他為 kyôn ——會吠的狗。

Though meant as an insult,

雖然稱他為狗的本意是種侮辱， 卻為他的哲學建立了好象徵——

dogs were actually a good symbol for his philosophy—

they’re happy creatures,

狗是快樂的生物，不在乎 抽象的概念，像是財富和名聲。

free from abstractions like wealth or reputation.

Diogenes and his growing number of followers

越來越多人追隨戴亞吉尼斯，

became known as “dog philosophers,” or kynikoi,

他們形成了一般所知的 「犬儒學派」，或稱 kynikoi，

a designation that eventually became the word “Cynic.”

這個名稱後來變成了 「憤世嫉俗者」這個詞。

These early Cynics were a carefree bunch,

早期這些犬儒學派的人 是群自由自在的人，

drawn to the freedom of a wandering lifestyle.

喜愛漂泊的生活方式。

As Diogenes’ reputation grew, others tried to challenge his commitment.

隨著戴亞吉尼斯的名聲越傳越廣， 有人試著挑戰他堅守的程度。

Alexander the Great offered him anything he desired.

亞歷山大大帝願提供他 任何他所想要的東西。

But instead of asking for material goods,

但戴亞吉尼斯並沒有 索求實質的物品，

Diogenes only asked Alexander to get out of his sunshine.

他只請亞歷山大別擋住他的陽光。

After Diogenes’ death,

戴亞吉尼斯死後，

adherents to his philosophy continued to call themselves Cynics

他的哲學的擁護者仍然 繼續自稱為犬儒學派，

for about 900 years, until 500 CE.

持續了約九百年， 直到公元五百年為止。

Some Greek philosophers, like the Stoics,

有些希臘哲學家， 比如斯多葛學派學者，

thought everyone should follow Diogenes’ example.

認為人人都應該遵從 戴亞吉尼斯的典範。

They also attempted to tone down his philosophy

他們也嘗試將他的哲學稍做調整，

to be more acceptable to conventional society—

讓墨守成規的社會 比較能接受它——

which, of course,

當然，這麼做就根本上 和他的方法有所抵觸。

was fundamentally at odds with his approach.

Others viewed the Cynics less charitably.

其他人就沒有這麼寬厚地 看待犬儒學派了。

In the Roman province of Syria in the 2nd century CE,

公元第二世紀， 在羅馬帝國的敘利亞行省，

the satirist Lucian described the Cynics of his own time as unprincipled,

諷刺作家琉善形容他那個時代的 犬儒學派是不道德的、

materialistic, self-promoting hypocrites,

實利主義的、自吹自擂的偽君子，

who only preached what Diogenes had once actually practiced.

只會宣揚亞吉尼斯曾經做過的事。

Reading Lucian’s texts centuries later,

在數世紀後閱讀琉善所寫的文字，

Renaissance and Reformation writers called their rivals cynics as an insult—

文藝復興和宗教改革運動的作家 侮辱他們的對手為犬儒學派——

meaning people who criticized others without having anything worthwhile to say.

意指嘴裡吐不出象牙 只會批判別人的人。

This usage eventually laid the groundwork for the modern meaning

「犬儒學派」的這種用法，

為現代「憤世嫉俗者」 一詞的定義奠定了基礎，

of the word “cynic:"

a person who thinks everyone else is acting out of pure self-interest,

這詞意指的人

總認為別人即使 嘴上宣稱有崇高的動機，

even if they claim a higher motive.

其實仍單純為了私利行事。

Still, the philosophy of cynicism had admirers,

不過，仍然有人欣賞 犬儒學派的哲學，

especially among those who wished to question

特別是想要質疑 社會狀態的那些人。

the state of society.

The 18th-century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau

十八世紀的法國哲學家尚雅克·盧梭

was called the “new Diogenes”

被稱為「新的希臘哲學家」， 當時他主張藝術、科學，

when he argued that the arts, sciences, and technology,

以及科技讓人腐敗。

corrupt people.

In 1882, Friedrich Nietzsche reimagined a story

1882 年，弗里德里希·尼采 重塑了一個故事，

in which Diogenes went into the Athenian marketplace

故事中的希臘哲學家 提著燈籠進入雅典市場，

with a lantern,

searching in vain for a single honest person.

找不到一個誠實的人。

In Nietszche’s version,

在尼采的版本中，一名所謂的 瘋子急著趕去小鎮的廣場，

a so-called madman rushes into a town square

to proclaim that “God is dead.”

去宣告「神已死」。

This was Nietzsche’s way of calling for a “revaluation of values,”

尼采用這種方式來呼籲 「價值重新評估」，

and rejecting the dominant Christian and Platonic idea

並駁斥主流的基督教和柏拉圖式

of universal, spiritual insights beyond the physical world.

針對實體世界以外的宇宙、 靈性洞見的想法。

Nietzsche admired Diogenes for sticking stubbornly

尼采欣賞希臘哲學家 能夠頑固堅持此時此地。

to the here-and-now.

More recently,

更近期則有六○年代的嬉皮

the hippies of the 1960s have been compared with Diogenes

將希臘哲學家比作反文化的反叛者。

as counter-cultural rebels.

Diogenes’ ideas have been adopted

希臘哲學家的想法 一再被採用、重塑。

and reimagined over and over again.

The original cynics might not have approved

最原始的犬儒學派可能 不會認同這些新的形式：

of these fresh takes:

they believed that their values of rejecting custom

他們相信，他們排拒習俗，

and living closely with nature were the only true values.

靠近大自然生活的價值觀， 才是唯一真正的價值觀。

Whether or not you agree with that, or with any of the later incarnations,

不論你是否認同這種價值觀 或其後來的版本，

all have one thing in common: they questioned the status quo.

它們都有一個共通點： 它們都在質疑現狀。

And that’s an example we can still follow:

而那是我們仍然能夠遵循的典範：

not to blindly follow conventional or majority views,

不要盲目地遵循傳統 或者多數人的觀點，

but to think hard about what is truly valuable.

而是要用心思考什麼 才是真正有價值的。