Chapter 1 (4/4+?)
“Well, since we all have arrived, perhaps we should start on our assignments” said Will “As we all know, a non-philosopher was designed to the administration departments to assist the clearing of the Island’s problems. Accordingly, we are fortunate to have Jude as the one sent to work with us. Since she has arrived, we ought to venture through the archived problems. Nona?”
Nona already held in her hands an immense folder containing numerous archives. Once said folder was set on the table, she delved through the files, stopped and, turning her eyes to the others, said “Well… you might not recollect, but we were assigned the solution of the Cynics’ problem”. Such remembrance made all philosophers sigh.
“What is the Cynics’ problem?”
“What an exceptionally proper question, dear Jude” said Will “I am afraid it is not worthy of only one answer”
“Those ill-behaved dogs (1)! They can not smell the limits of their own section and are urinating in every corner of the Island!”
“If I may give you my counsel, dear Cândido, you should not allow this disturb your soul as you let appear, for they are only presenting themselves as well as they could ever be”
“You know, William, you may seem the most agreeable of us all, but every day you reveal to be more and more like the Socratics (2). And I am afraid It is not necessary for me to remind you what is done with the socratics of the Island”
“Enough with conversing about things that lead us nowhere!” Nona said in two notes louder than usual, inducing Marty to project his back against the chair’s support, with his eyes widened with shock. Nona, then, smiled and turned her attention to Jude “the Cynics, despite having a section of their own, insist on claiming that they do not need it and that they would rather realize their activities in any other section but theirs. However, it is safe to say that the Cynics are the only ones who appreciate their activities, I believe”
“What… sort of activities do you speak of?”
“For instance” said Paul “they regularly defy the norms of conduct of the other philosophers’ practices”
“I can not comprehend the negative aspect of such activity” Jude replied “they should be free to manifest their frustrations with how others present themselves. Preventing them from expressing themselves is censorship!! How a group of philosophers can oppress another is what…
“Masturbating in public is one of the means to manifesting their frustrations” said Will as he interrupted Jude who, once beheld such revelation, still could not manage to stop defending the Cynics’ cause.
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(1) The word cynic comes from the greek word “σκύλαξ” (skýlax), which means dog. There are some amusing passages about the cynic Diogenes; for example, in one of them, he urinates on the person who insinuated he was a dog.
(2) In the platonic dialogues, Socrates usually induces his interlocutors to contradiction using their own arguments. Even though Will did not exactly do this, he was just making fun of his friend, Cândido would not be worried about being precise with the analogy. Furthermore, we could also understand the comparison considering that Socrates is often described as ironic, as Will’s statement was.
