AHMET HAMDI TANPINAR AND CYNICISM

Greek philosopher Antisthenes (B.C. 444-365), who stated that virtue isthe supreme happiness, argues that in order for man to become selfsufficient,he must be freed from elements such as beauty, wealth, glory andfame. According to cynicism, the way to be virtuous is to choose the efforts that are appropriate to nature and to act accordingly. For them, virtue means posture away from world blessings and praise. According to the cynics, virtue is enough on its own to be happy, and there is no need for anything other than it. As an artist, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar has a keen interest in cynicism in the world of narrative and poetry. Tanpınar not only gives place to cynicism in his poems, stories or novels, but also mentions cynic elements in his diaries, letters and articles. The cynical characters in Tanpinar s works are people with a semi-deranged, semi-dervish and a ragged disguise, who generally preferred a way of life against the established order. They take a cynical approach to life, to social rules, to cultural elements. The aim of our article is to identify and demonstrate the attention towards cynicism in Tanpinar s works.