The Secret Teachings of All Ages

...can be moved, since to be moved it must be taken out of the place in which it is and put into the place where it is not. This is impossible, because all things must always be in the places where they are. This is a variation of the "Arrow Paradox" attributed to Zeno of Elea, which argues that at any given instant, a moving object is at rest in a specific space; therefore, motion is an illusion.

The Cynics were a sect founded by Antisthenes of Athens (c. 444–365 B.C.), a disciple of Socrates. Their doctrine may be described as an extreme individualism which considers man as existing for himself alone. It advocates surrounding him with disharmony, suffering, and direst need so that he may be driven to retreat more completely into his own nature. The Cynics renounced all worldly possessions, living in the crudest shelters and subsisting on the coarsest and simplest food. On the assumption that the gods wanted nothing, the Cynics affirmed that those whose needs were fewest were consequently closest to the divine. When asked what he gained by a life of philosophy, Antisthenes replied that he had learned how to converse with himself.

Diogenes of Sinope Original: "Sinopis" is remembered chiefly for the tub in the Metroüm The Metroüm was a temple dedicated to the Mother of the Gods in the ancient marketplace of Athens. which served as his home for many years. The people of Athens loved this beggar-philosopher; when a youth bored holes in the tub as a joke, the city presented Diogenes with a new one and punished the young man. Diogenes believed that nothing in life can be rightly accomplished without exercitation Meaning physical and mental practice or disciplined training.. He maintained that everything in the world belongs to the wise, a declaration which he proved with the following logic: "All things belong to the gods; the gods are friends to wise persons; all things are shared in common among friends; therefore, all things belong to the wise." Among the Cynics are Monimus, Onesicritus, Crates, Metrocles, Hipparchia (who married Crates), Menippus, and Menedemus.

The Cyrenaic sect, founded by Aristippus of Cyrene (c. 435–356 B.C.), promoted the doctrine of hedonism A school of thought arguing that pleasure is the primary or sole intrinsic good.. Learning of the fame of Socrates, Aristippus traveled to Athens and applied himself to the teachings of the great Skeptic. Socrates, pained by the pleasure-seeking and mercenary tendencies of Aristippus, tried in vain to reform the young man. Aristippus has the distinction of being consistent in both principle and practice, for he lived in perfect harmony with his philosophy that the quest for pleasure was the chief purpose of life. The doctrines of the Cyrenaics may be summarized as follows: All that is actually known concerning any object or condition is the feeling which it awakens in a person's own nature. In the sphere of ethics, whatever awakens the most pleasant feeling is consequently to be esteemed as the greatest good. Emotional reactions are classified as pleasant (gentle), harsh, and mean In this context, "mean" refers to a neutral state or an average between two extremes.. The goal of pleasant emotion is pleasure; the goal of harsh emotion is grief; the goal of neutral emotion is nothing.

Through mental perversity, some men do not desire pleasure. In reality, however, pleasure (especially of a physical nature) is the true purpose of existence and exceeds mental and spiritual enjoyments in every way. Pleasure, furthermore, is limited entirely to the moment; "now" is the only time. The past cannot be looked back upon without regret, and the future cannot be faced without misgiving; therefore, neither is conducive to pleasure. No man should grieve, for grief is the most serious of all diseases. Nature permits man to do anything he desires; he is limited only by his own laws and customs. A philosopher is one free from envy, love, and superstition, and whose days are one long round of pleasure. Indulgence was thus elevated by Aristippus to the highest position among the virtues. He further declared that philosophers differ markedly from other men because they alone would not change their way of life even if all human laws were abolished. Among the prominent philosophers influenced by the Cyrenaic doctrines were Hegesias, Anniceris, Theodorus, and Bion.