#Diogenes alexander the great free#

His followers were also a motivation factor to him, since they appreciated his doctrines, and Alexander acknowledged this when he took one of them as a philosophical interpreter.Īlexander also laboured to help mankind, choosing to be at the forefront of battles, while he could easily sit back and let others fight. He was contented with his mission work, since he chose to continue instead of living a hidden life, away from the ignorant people, like others before him who had given up and isolated themselves from the people (Highet 8). He tirelessly taught his doctrines to those who chose to listen, in an effort to open the eyes of the people. He taught people that riches brought worries, since people spent more time and energy protecting what they had.

#Diogenes alexander the great free#

His teaching emphasized that a free life had no conventions, complexities and extravagances. He emphasized a natural life, saying that it was normal and could not be evil or shameful.

To expound on his doctrine, Diogenes wrote plays, poems and essays (Highet 8). While on the rich streets of Greece, he taught people his doctrines, and those who cared to listen followed him. The two people are similar in that they fought for what they thought was right, in their own way.ĭiogenes lived a life similar to that of dog, trying to influence people that they could live a natural and happy life.

While Diogenes admired Hercules for his might and concern for other people, Alexander admired Archiles, who defeated the Asian armies. His choice of lifestyle, which involved battles, was an indication of his selflessness. He was also honourable, as could be seen in his self control, with both women and alcohol. He was skilled in many fields and was a great military commander. He was knowledgeable in many fields including poetry, philosophy, scientific research and military, being termed a magnificent commander (Highet 9).Īlexander too, lived a contented life, at least according to the time of the story, at age twenty. He had been taught by the greatest mind in Greece at that time, Aristotle. According to Highet, Diogenes lived a contented life, since he could adopt and practise his teachings, without worrying about a family or work.Īlexander on the other hand had little choice of his upbringing, as he was the son of King Philip. Many people had lived the way he did, mainly the refugees, but he did so by choice, since his teachings emphasized that people should live a natural life, he chose to teach the people by example. He survived on borrowed food from the people. He had no furniture and slept in a cask that he moved everywhere with, and placed it where he wanted to sleep. Diogenes assumed the lifestyle of animals, especially the dog, arguing that there was no need for extravagance. He had little regard of the basic needs of human beings, choosing to cloth himself with a single blanket, since God had not provided a way for humans to protect themselves from the cold, like he had for the animals (Highet 8). Choice of Lifestyleĭiogenes lived a simple of a beggar. Diogenes was a Greek philosopher while Alexander the great was the lordly ruler of the Greek empire.

Success has been defined as doing what one really wants to do, and in the story of Diogenes and Alexander, Highet compares two personalities who meet under peculiar circumstances. Contentment comes with success whereby one feels happy with their current situation in life.