English

Noun

Timonists

1. plural of Timonist
   • 1609, Thomas Dekker, The Gull's Hornbook:^[1]

     You therefore whose bodies, either overflowing with the corrupt humours of this age's fantasticness, or else being burnt up with the inflamation of upstart fashions, would fain be purged, and, to shew that you truly loath this polluted and mangy fisted world, turn Timonists, not caring either for men or their manners, [...] [sic]

   • 1988, Paul Ollswang, "Cynicism":^[2]

     Cynicism is often contrasted with "Timonism" (cf. Shakespeare's Timon of Athens). Cynics saw what people could be & were angered by what they had become; Timonists felt humans were hopelessly stupid & uncaring by nature & so saw no hope for change.

References

1. ↑ Thomas Dekker, The Guls Horne-Booke [sic], 1609, Quarto ed. (old spelling); repr. The Gull's Hornbook, or, Fashions to Please All Sorts of Gulls, edited by R. B. McKerrow (from the British Museum copy of the edition of 1609, with modernised spelling and the notes from Dr. Nott's 1812 edition), London: De La More Press, 1904, Chapter I, 19:3, online at Big Wind Press. (A note adds: "Timonists. The Quarto has Pimonists. Corrected by Nott, who is followed by all later editors.")
2. ↑ Paul Ollswang, "Cynicism: A Series of Cartoons on a Philosophical Theme", January 1988, page at official site; repr. in The Best Comics of the Decade 1980-1990 Vol. 1, Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 1990, ISBN 1-56097-035-9, p. 23.