The Philosopher Who Laughed in the Face of Kings

About this episode

<p>Dive into the wild life of Diogenes, the philosopher who wasn’t afraid to challenge norms or even Alexander the Great. In today’s episode, discover how his bold actions and sharp wit left an enduring legacy and why historians still debate his famous sunbathing encounter with the young conqueror.</p><br><p>Pick up a copy of Inger Kuin’s new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diogenes-Rebellious-Revolutionary-Philosophy-Original/dp/1541606477" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic</em></a><em>. </em></p><br><p>Thanks to Basic Books for allowing us to run this audio excerpt. </p><br><p>🎟️ Come see<a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Ryan Holiday LIVE</a>: <a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.dailystoiclive.com/</a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/daily-stoic-live-onstage-with-ryan-holiday-tickets-1830976292379?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seattle, WA&nbsp; - December 3, 2025&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/daily-stoic-live-onstage-with-ryan-holiday-tickets-1527497619499?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/daily-stoic-live-onstage-with-ryan-holiday-tickets-1830981698549?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 </a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>📚 If you’re interested in learning more about Diogenes and Cynicism, check out these books:</p><p><a href="https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/the-cynic-philosophers-from-diogenes-to-julian-penguin-classics?_pos=1&amp;_sid=333ffa06d&amp;_ss=r" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Cynic Philosophers: From Diogenes to Julian</em></a></p><p><a href="https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/how-to-say-no-an-ancient-guide-to-the-art-of-cynicism?_pos=2&amp;_sid=333ffa06d&amp;_ss=r" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism</em></a></p><br><p>👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Daily Stoic Premium</a> - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content:<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://dailystoic.supercast.com/</a></p><br><p>🎥 Watch the video episodes on<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Daily Stoic YouTube channel</a>:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos</a></p><br><p>🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Instagram</a>:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast</a></p><br><p>✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at<a href="https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail</a></p><br><p>🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store:<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://store.dailystoic.com/</a></p><br><p>📱 Follow us:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> &nbsp;Instagram</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/dailystoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> YouTube</a>,<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> TikTok</a>, and<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dailystoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Facebook</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>