When did "cynical" become a bad word?

[Narz]

I've been reading about the Cynical school of philosophy and alot of it really resonates with me. If the world was run by cynics we wouldn't be in most of the global or societal messes we're in. When (historically) did the word turn into a term of derision & what/who was behind it?

Thanks,
Narz

[Traitorfish]

I've always wondered about that. Somewhere along the line it twisted from being a really rather ethical philosophy to meaning something not unlike "grumpy old git". Strange, really, when you consider that Western ethics are rooted in Cynic philsophy, via Christianity.

[Dachs]

For English, according to the American Heritage Dictionary (since I can't get into the OED site), the first use as a 'faultfinder' and negative connotated word was in 1596. Before then it was solely to refer to the members of the philosophical school.

[Plotinus]

It was a term of derision to start with - "doglike".

[Narz]

Originally Posted by Plotinus

It was a term of derision to start with - "doglike".

That's odd. Generally dogs are about as far from cynical as one can get (except maybe abused dogs who don't trust anyone).

[Plotinus]

The name came from the early cynics' ways of showing their lack of respect for social standards - they were called "dogs" because of the sort of things they did in public!

[.Shane.]

Narz, the world needs skepticism more than cynicism.

edit: More closely read thread... now I get it. Please to be ignoring this post ktxbai.

[Taras Bulba]

no words are bad words, just the connotations that people associate with them

[-0blivion-]

Originally Posted by Plotinus

The name came from the early cynics' ways of showing their lack of respect for social standards - they were called "dogs" because of the sort of things they did in public!

Very interesting, didn't know that before - makes sense I guess, Diogenes was an odd fella.

[Brighteye]

To be a Cynic started bad and became good. It's still good now. Well, here anyway. People I know contrast it with being naive and gullible; it's the 'good' side of the scale.

[Verbose]

Originally Posted by -0blivion-

Very interesting, didn't know that before - makes sense I guess, Diogenes was an odd fella.

I believe he is said to have been referred to by Plato something along the lines of:
"Like Socrates, but insane."

[Princeps]

Ever since those stupids cynics thought that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature.

[JEELEN]

kynos (Gr.) means dog. (And calling someone a dog is still considered an insult.)

An, albeit apocryphic, anekdote in point:

Diogenes is lying in his barrel and Alexander, who was taught by Aristotle, comes to ask of the famous philosopher if there is anything he can do for him. Diogenes answer: "You're standing in my sun."

[Sharwood]

It's only a bad word if CFC censors it.

[Felix Luce]

Because it's a sad world indeed and we must do all we can to be happy. Who wants to go up to a group of refugees and say, "Hey, if you live like this forever, you'll be happy!" That's the old view, of course, and soon, I think, everything bad and pessimistic began to be associated with it.

[classical_hero]

You should ask hotforwords for the answer to that. But I think your girlfriend might not like you doing that. BTW, she is the lady in my avatar.

[frekk]

Apparently the cynics got a bad reputation as shrill Luddites, famed for publicly haranguing people on the street about the errors of their civilized lifestyles.

[Sharwood]

Originally Posted by classical_hero

You should ask hotforwords for the answer to that. But I think your girlfriend might not like you doing that. BTW, she is the lady in my avatar.

The girl in your avatar is Felix's girlfriend?

[Fifty]

For pretty much any philosophical school that has morphed into a normal term, the term doesn't really mean what it means when you talk about the philosophical school, be it "cynic", "stoic", "epicurean", "empiricism", "skepticism", etc.

[onedreamer]

Originally Posted by Narz

I've been reading about the Cynical school of philosophy and alot of it really resonates with me. If the world was run by cynics we wouldn't be in most of the global or societal messes we're in. When (historically) did the word turn into a term of derision & what/who was behind it?

Thanks,
Narz

perhaps you should speak for your own country/language only. In italian, the word cynic surely isn't used for derision, but in its real meaning. The problem with this, is that a cynical person is one who can objectively see and say the truth behind things, which is exactly what common people don't want to see/hear, and therefore the adjective cynical isn't exactly a popular one.