However, critics complain that Diogenes’ lifestyle is self-indulgent, relying on the generosity and productivity of others to support his vagrant lifestyle. There is a philosophical point here, not just a pragmatic one, concerning the universalisability of ethical prescriptions. If everyone were to follow Diogenes’ example society would collapse, making it economically impossible for anyone – including Diogenes – to concentrate on the mastery of the self. Therefore Diogenes’ philosophy is elitist – it cannot be universally followed.
