Aristippus of Cyrene
| Aristippus | |
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| Born | c. 435 BCE Cyrene |
| Died | c. 356 BCE Cyrene |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Cyrenaic school |
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Hedonism |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Aristippus of Cyrene (/ˌærəˈstɪpəs/; Greek: Ἀρίστιππος; c. 435 – c. 356 BCE) was the founder of the Cyrenaic school of Philosophy. He was a pupil of Socrates, but adopted a very different philosophical outlook, teaching that the goal of life was to seek pleasure by adapting circumstances to oneself and by maintaining proper control over both adversity and prosperity. Among his pupils was his daughter Arete.
There are indications that he was conflated with his grandson, Aristippus the Younger.
Aristippus, the son of Aritades, was born at Cyrene, Ancient Libya, c. 435 BCE. He came over to Greece to be present at the Olympic games, where he inquired Ischomachus about Socrates, and by his description was filled with so ardent a desire to see Socrates, that he went to Athens for the purpose, and remained with him almost up to the time of his execution, 399 BCE. Diodorus dates him to 366 BCE., which agrees very well with the facts known about him, and with the statement, that Lais, the courtesan with whom he was intimate, was born 421 BCE.
Though a disciple of Socrates, he wandered very far both in principle and practice from the teaching and example of his great master. He lived luxuriously, was happy to seek sensual gratification and the company of the notorious Lais. He also took money for his teaching, the first of Socrates' disciples to do so and even told Socrates that he resided in a foreign land in order to escape the trouble of involving himself in the politics of his native city. He passed part of his life at the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse or Dionysius the Younger, and is also said to have been taken prisoner by Artaphernes, the satrap who drove the Spartans from Rhodes, 396 BCE. He appears, however, at last to have returned to Cyrene, and there he spent his old age.
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