Diogenes, Alexander the Great, and the Value of Values
Diogenes and Alexander the Great, the encounter
Once upon a time, there was a Cynic Greek philosopher called Diogenes. He was known for his wisdom and unconventional lifestyle. He lived with no possessions in a large ceramic jar, rejecting social norms. His philosophy emphasized living in accordance with nature.
Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king who became one of history’s most successful conquerors and empire builders, was intrigued by Diogenes’ fame and went to visit him. Finding Diogenes bathing in the sun, Alexander asked if there was anything he could do for him.
Diogenes replied, “yes, stand out of my sunlight”.
Alexander was impressed by Diogenes’ courage and boldness and replied: “if I were not Alexander, I would wish to be Diogenes”.
This is just a little story[1] to illustrate how values shape our behaviour. They are our invisible compass. They guide our perceptions, decisions and actions.
Diogenes valued simplicity, authenticity, and freedom, and hence his austere lifestyle. He was not interested in fame or fortune. On the contrary, Alexander valued power and wealth, which led him to extend his empire from Greece to Egypt and into present-day Pakistan and India. They both valued courage, and hence Alexander’s admiration for Diogenes’ boldness, and honesty.
Our values influence our choices. Diogenes wasn’t tempted by Alexander’s offer because he preferred the unlimited natural sunlight than any material possessions or favours he could receive from Alexander.
In prior articles, we have always discussed the benefits of philosophy – and in particular ancient moral philosophy, i.e. philosophy as a way of life – at individual, societal and economic level, to help shape 21st century thought and action towards a just and sustainable future.
My previous article There is a Future for the Past tried to bring moral philosophy back to economics, and its tool finance. Philosophy and economics spent more than 2000 years together, from ancient times up to the late 18th century, when they decided to file for divorce. The article advocated for a reunion, promoting the need to treat root causes – and not just symptoms – to move from Homo Economicus to Homo Altruistic, and from pursuing self-interest (Thomas Hobbes, Bernard Mandeville, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill…) to seeking the common good (Aristotle, the Stoics). We left aside purpose, to be able to enjoy one more chapter together! Or maybe two… as I’m unable to discuss purpose without digging into values – their foundation – first.
I’m starting to question the centrality and authenticity of purpose. It has become a buzzword on everyone’s lips, a pre-condition for personal happiness or corporate success.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love Victor Frankl’s logotherapy, and his encouragement to seek fulfilment by finding a purpose that serves others, like Japanese Ikigai. However, I would modify Simon Sinek’s famous quote Start with Why, in other words Start with purpose, to Start with Who, or Start with Values. Start from the Self, from within: our values, who we are, and who we would like to be. The famous Greek philosophical maxim Know thyself.
To me, the first required step for the much-needed social and economic transformation is values. Values shape purpose. Purpose, on the other hand, shapes action.
Core values lead to beautiful purposes for people, communities and companies. If sustainability is a core value for a person, she might want to start a social enterprise to work on the green transition. If justice is a core value for an organization, its purpose could be to pay fair salaries. And so on.
Values are critical for sustainability transformation because they represent the deepest leverage level for change. They influence our choices as consumers, voters, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and citizens. Values then lead into corporate profits, government policies and financial flows; hence the value of values.
We are the great-grandchildren of the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment that followed. As a post-industrial knowledge society, heirs of the Age of Reason, we’re deeply influenced by our ancestors, who gradually replaced philosophical contemplation, multi-disciplinary learning and religion with science, rationalism, empiricism, humanism, secularism, and progress. Their vision of individualism, materialism and freedom has influenced our perspective. Many of us embrace it without even realizing.
Scientific rationalism led to incredible progress and allowed us to live longer, happier, and more peaceful lives. However, it brought a different value-system for engaging with the natural world, together with deep misconceptions, such as the ideas of separation and dominion.
We value (post-enlightenment) intellect more than (ancient) intuition, wealth and power over wisdom, personal achievement and freedom over character development, self-interest over community and the common good, hedonic wellbeing over eudaimonic.
These ego-system values are deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness. They have been transferred and reinforced from generation to generation. We take them for granted, we build our lives, societies, economies, and even education systems around them.
We feel separated from others, and from nature. To me, the illusion of separation is the root of all our problems. The root cause of conflict, social inequality, and environmental disaster. The feeling of scarcity and the need for cut-throat competition are mere consequences of this distorted view of the world.
We not only feel separated, but we believe we are entitled to dominate other beings, and nature. Rather than the ancient sense of responsibility and stewardship, we manifest a sense of superiority. We believe we can impose our will on the world and shape it as we wish. Francis Bacon dismissed the Aristotelian holistic view of the human being and the world. For him, nature had no value in itself, it was a means to an end, for the use of humans. Science had to be used for the welfare of people. Likewise, Descartes described humans as masters and possessors of nature. The cartesian dream of absolute rationality won the battle of ideas.
“Human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth.” – Albert Einstein
Once we embrace eco-system values, which are simply human values, we will replace separation and dominion with unity and a deep sense of responsibility to care for others and nature. We will become responsible consumers, voters and investors. Company purposes will transcend short-term profits, and all investing will be impact investing. War would be totally stricken from the human agenda.
It sounds like utopia but it’s already happening.
The expansion of consciousness has already started
Despite the constant grim news about war, political unrest, ecological disasters and the nearing 1.5C threshold, there are many reasons for optimism.
A significant part of the population is doubting the old materialistic ego-centric paradigm, perhaps due to the inner dissatisfaction (apathy, depression, anxiety, loneliness,…) it brings. There is growing unanimity around humanity’s goals (the UN Sustainable Development Goals), and consensus around how to achieve them, such as transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
A climate-educated generation is entering the workforce. For them, cars are no longer status symbols but merely ways to move from point A to B, as needed. New technologies are spurring innovation, collaboration and democratized access to finance, education and healthcare. Yoga schools are full, meditation centres also, as 21st century science corroborates their beneficial effects on body, mind and soul. Western individuals are seeking Eastern Ancient wisdom, American universities are digging into Indigenous Knowledge, and so on. Once we get all these to scale, we will be on the right path to sustainability.
“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” Henry David Thoreau
