Very often you hear about famous people: the "famous scientist", "philosopher", "inventor", "made a great contribution to the development of a certain area of human activity" and at the same time … "misanthrope". What is hidden behind this word? Who it
misanthrope?
Misanthrope (compound from Greek. "Man" and "hatred") is a person who adheres to a certain philosophy of life, or rather the philosophy of misanthropy. Misanthropy can manifest itself both in a mild form of predisposition to aversion of people, and in an extreme form of intolerance. However, it is worth emphasizing who is misanthrope. This is an individual whose hatred is directed not at specific people, but at existing social values and norms of behavior, at a sinful human nature that cannot be changed in any way. A misanthrope is not at all devoid of self-criticism; sometimes it makes more demanding demands on itself than others. The rejection of society does not prevent, however, such people from maintaining warm close relations with those few friends or relatives to whom they feel sympathy.
Having found out who the misanthrope is, let us try to trace the history of the term itself. The word "misanthrope" was widely used after the publication of the same name
comedies of Jean Baptiste Moliere. In it, the author tells us about the young boy Alceste, who very surprised his relatives and friends with his strange deeds. Contrary to the sugary-flattering manner of communication that was then accepted in society, the hero did not want to follow generally accepted norms in any way and preferred to speak the whole truth in person, whatever it may be. He constantly denounced his friend Filint, his beloved Seliment and other people around him, adhered to his principles even when they brought him to a very disadvantageous position. The outcome of this play is sad: pursued by his judicial adversary, rejected by his beloved, he retires to live alone in order to have every right to speak about people what he really thinks. What is actually more important for a person - a public position or his own opinion? This is what the Misanthrope reader thinks about.
The meaning of this word acquired a new meaning in the heyday of capitalist society, when money becomes higher than moral values and breaks down the foundations that have been formed for centuries, the workers are exploited as working units. Against the backdrop of the ongoing global fair of human vices, the protest against the existing order of things is most clearly expressed in the writings of Schopenhauer (who believed that he lives in the worst of worlds) and F. Nietzsche (who claimed that man no longer evolves). Misanthropy became almost a universal occurrence due to wars and social disasters of the 20th century, then it was even fashionable to say: “I am a misanthrope”. Therefore, with a certain degree of certainty, it can be argued that the spread of anti-humanist sentiments is an important indicator of the state of social decline, when his brothers by reason, their values and principles become a burden to a person.
One can argue for a long time about who the misanthrope is, whether it is useful for society, but one thing remains clear - the phenomenon of misanthropy has existed throughout human history, only on various scales.
