Cynicism (contemporary)

Cynicism (Greek κυνισμός, kynismós, literally " Hündigkeit " of κύων kyon, "dog" ) originally referred to the view of life and lifestyle of the ancient Cynics. In German the term was usually written " cynicism " until the beginning of the 20th century and had several meanings, so the doctrine of the ancient philosophical school of the Cynics, the appropriate " mode of thinking and acting " as well as the Cynicism and cynical ideas or character appropriate way of talking. In today's vernacular cynicism and the derived adjective cynically above all an attitude, thinking and behavior, which is characterized by biting sarcasm, and often consciously disregarded the feelings of other people or social conventions. The Great Dictionary of the German language defined in 1999 cynically as "a [ ... ] stance regarding bringing that is perceived as conflicting, paradoxical and disobeying one's feelings as hurtful and especially in certain matters, situations ".

Etymology and history of the concept

As a cynic, a supporter of the Cynic philosophy has been since the 16th century, but especially in the 18th century called, but primarily through the use of the adjective a ' cynical, mocking, biting, irreverent man '. Origin is the Latin Cynicus, derived from Greek Kynikos ( Κυνικός ) ' Cynic philosopher '. Cynicism designated especially in the second half of the 18th century, a ' morality and values ​​mißachtende mind, uncleanness, immodesty, mockery ' and since the mid-19th century, a ' shameless manner of speech '. Before the 18th century was cynical rarely as ' poor eating without wine ' borrowed from Latin Cynicus, Greek Kynikos ( κυνικός ) ' doglike, frugal like dogs ' needed. Cynics was, accordingly, a " term for a follower of the school of philosophy founded by Antisthenes, whose goal is to return to its natural state and to a undemanding life without claims ". Beginning of the 19th century transformed the meaning of cynical about ' the current value and morality disregarding and mocking, mocking, snappy '. Tinner described its use in the Historical Dictionary of philosophy as a buzz word that " in France as popular as imprecise " and " at the end of the 18th century gradually input into the German literature " found as such. However, although the positive image of the undemanding Cynic stood in antiquity " the caricature of the unkempt, dirty, shameless and schmarotzerischen mendicant philosophers over, are not for the religious and ethical values," but only in the 17th and 18th centuries, this negative image was intellectual common property.

The concept took off since the 17th century insbesonderes in the German language tradition gradually from its ancient origins, increasingly developed independently and " is diverse and diffuse in its use in its meanings ." So were for Frederick of Prussia, the encyclopedist, " a sect of so-called philosophers who has formed in our days. The shamelessness of the Cynics they combine the refined audacity, all paradoxes that come into their minds to give the best ". Adolph Knigge had, however, in his work On dealing with people, " the enlightened contemporaries in view and not the coarse Cynics, the " [ ... ] despised all the rules have prescribed to people in civil life which agreement and mutual complacency. " " Friedrich Kirchner defined cynicism in the philosophical ideas of 1907 as " a conception and management of life that everything that goes beyond the point of need despised dictionary. Convenience, luxury, especially decency, customs, art, science and education are nothing in the eyes of a cynical man; yes he likes the fact they taunt studiously " He added that" the better core of the cynical doctrine " has passed into the philosophy of the Stoics. ; " But evolved deviated from the cynicism of an arrogant and shameless Bettlertum on which the name of the cynics stuck ". The Brockhaus ' Little Conversation Lexicon called 1911 the term cynic a " nickname ".

In his analysis of ancient Cynics and Cynicism in the presence of Klaus Heinrich different 1964 three main types of cynicism. As an " existential protest ," he was the contemporary attempt to " the threat withstand recognizing by futility ." The cynic is resigned to the " impending loss of meaning " by " the recognition of the threat to his self-assertion sake cynical " reject. This cynicism eventually discards them in the resignation " disappointing forms of self-assertion " and is now " an expression of a silent, knowing indifference ". Iring Fetscherplatz called the contemporary cynicism as "a last, desperate way of life." The cynic understand itself "as the powerful, who has no need to take into consideration ", but is in its " cynical contempt of moral norms " neither indifferent nor he lacked the " sense of moral values." Peter Sloterdijk wrote in his treatise Critique of Cynical Reason in 1983 that " interactions of non- relaxable subjectivisms " " subdue Kommunikationsvortäuschungen their private conditions," the " communicative reason " by. Lack of communication, and communication Kommunikationsvortäuschung refusal were " virtually the characteristics of modern power cynicism that values ​​such as love, truth, authenticity " subordinating his " power and profit will."