CYNICS

cynics, a small but influential school of ancient philosophers. their name is variously derived from the building in athens called cynosarges, the earliest home of the school, and from the greek word for a dog ([greek: kyon]), in contemptuous allusion to the uncouth and aggressive manners adopted by the members of the school. whichever of these explanations is correct, it is noticeable that the cynics agreed in taking a dog as their common badge or symbol (see diogenes). from a popular conception of the intellectual characteristics of the school comes the modern sense of "cynic," implying a sneering disposition to disbelieve in the goodness of human motives and a contemptuous feeling of superiority. as regards the members of the school, the separate articles on