Misanthropy in Ancient Greek Culture and Thought

I argue in my doctoral thesis that discourses on misanthropy or hatred of humans formed a distinct historical tradition in ancient Greek culture and thought in the period of 5th century BCE and c. 4th century CE. This tradition consisted of a distinct set of ideas and ethical considerations on human nature, sociability and behaviour that could be used to evoke the concept of misanthropy in its different manifestations in particular circumstances. Discourses on misanthropy evolved alongside other social, cultural, and intellectual understandings in classical Greek culture in a wide range of contexts. In literary portrayals and treatments, this tradition was made manifest through specific terminology and established ways of depicting misanthropic behaviour and thought. This does not suggest the existence of only a literary tradition in ancient Greek culture, but a particular shared way of thought and expression around specific notions about the way human beings could exhibit antisocial tendencies and compromise their place in society or their very nature as human beings.

The focus of this thesis on misanthropy in ancient Greek culture is justified by classical misanthropy being informed by ethical norms and conventions of social life that were characteristic to classical Greek culture and societies. However, treatments of misanthropy in classical literature were not limited to sources and individuals who could be defined solely in terms of classical Greek culture, and the concept could be applied in contexts that conveyed social and ethical understandings between cultures.

Classical psychological philosophies defined misanthropy as an established affective mindset that derived from emotional-cognitive processes. Despite portrayals of misanthropy often involving the use of emotive language, not all manifestations of misanthropy in antiquity are singularly identifiable with the emotion of hatred. The concept of misanthropy could be applied in a wide variety of ways to expose ethical conflicts between individuals and society. In the context of ancient Greek culture, displays of misanthropy point to extreme instances where conventional boundaries of sociability, feeling, and ethical conduct have been crossed, revealing fundamental cultural understandings and assumptions about social normativity, civility, and belonging to society.