Where’s Wilma?
Topics in Misanthropy (2)
When you perform a search for “most famous misanthropes,” you are returned a list of prominent male philosophers and fictional characters. Women are virtually absent. Before we ask why, we’ll look at some of the men who have been associated with the philosophy of misanthropy.
Mark Twain, a famous American writer known for his novels like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, also established his own misanthropic works that abandoned the humorist style and took on sharper tones. In What is Man? and Other Essays, he is critical of human nature and discusses whether people are truly free-thinking. One outstanding point suggests that there is no sincere altruism in humanity and that their actions are ultimately self-appeasing, whether they are aware of it or not. The Mysterious Stranger, published posthumously, critiques the hypocrisy of humanity, organized religion, and the meaning of human existence. Per the types of misanthropy, I would describe him as a moral misanthrope
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher described as misanthropic and had leanings towards anti-natalism. He was an early influence on Friedrich Nietzsche (another philosopher who has been described as misanthropic). While he wrote that “human existence must be some kind of error,” he also proposed that ethical treatment of others is important to lead a better life. Like Mr. Twain, he is a moral misanthrope.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri (often just Al Ma’arri) was born in December 973 AD near Alepp, Syria. Blinded in youth by smallpox, he was a famous poet who held unorthodox views for the time period he was born into. Al-Ma’arri was an early voice for the concept of anti-natalism and believed that children should not be brought into the world to spare future generations the pains of life. He was also critical of organized religion and advocated for social justice. In addition to this, he is an early example of veganism and condemned consuming animals and animal products, viewing animal cruelty as a grave injustice. I would place him as an ecocentric and moral misanthrope.
Chester Himes, a black American writer whose famous works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and the Harlem Detective series of novels, was changed by early childhood trauma caused by racism. Hime’s brother was performing a chemistry experiment and had an accident that required medical attention. Himes’ parents took his brother to the hospital, where he was refused treatment due to racist Jim Crow Laws of the 1910s. In his autobiography, Himes expressed his anger over this incident from the callous disregard he witnessed on behalf of his brother. In his disenchantment, he expressed, “…under the mental corrosion of race prejudice in Los Angeles I became bitter and saturated with hate.” Mr. Himes shows both the othered and personal types of misanthropy.
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These four men are just a few famous examples of people with misanthropic views, and it was easy to find them. With women, it’s trickier to find them (and I’m still searching). Philosophy has hardly been inclusive of women, and more often than not, they will be put under a different label, such as being termed a “feminist writer” versus a “philosopher”. While there is nothing wrong with being a feminist writer, it can be limiting in the same way that once you get a job as a welder, all the jobs that come your way after the fact are going to be overwhelmingly welder roles. Despite my words, I myself have been told that I can’t be misanthropic or even nonreligious (but that’s another story for another day).
So, why is this the case?
Considering the hatred throughout history that women have received from humanity, I’m surprised female misanthropes aren’t more prevalent. Factors that I believe would drive misanthropy in women include but aren’t limited to female infanticide, female genital mutilation, suppression of education for women, witch hunts, acid attacks, disproportionate recipients of sexual violence, femicide, and being forced into child marriages at higher rates. The torture of the female sex is endless.
I recall a Chinese poem that we covered in AP World History in 11th grade. The male poet essentially called a woman the cheapest thing on earth. Even seeing it again now makes me angry, and that was half my life ago. Some might have insisted his words be forgotten to history, but I don’t agree with that. The past shows us the deeply ingrained prejudice humans have, and there has been no point in history where, as a collective, they’ve been these overwhelmingly kind beings that honor the earth, other animals, and themselves. Only in fiction.
One of the main explanations I’ve come across for the lack of women misanthropes is that social conditioning for women is to be positive-thinking in all things. Grin and bear your hardships and injustice. The overwhelming toxic positivity of repressing anger and depression is something that humanity as a whole should address. Like women, men put on the facade of being okay as well. Robin Williams and other men may present as “fine,” yet the suicide rates suggest otherwise. Part of my reason for resuming writing is to let go of repression for my own sake. There has been a rise, thankfully, of articles and videos on how repression makes women sick.
My misanthropic philosophy caused a woman to reach out to me in November of 2025 in an online forum space. She confessed to being a misanthrope and resonating with a lot of what I said. It was the first and only instance so far in which I’ve been approached by a woman misanthrope. In her own words, she was a “radical feminist”, believed the human race to be generally “sociopathic” and admitted that if it weren’t for her profession, which demanded intimacy with men, she would “be part of the 4B movement”. Our chat faded away, but I think about that brief exchange often.
I want to give a voice to those who have developed a misanthropic worldview and are told they should remain positive in a callous world that has repeatedly failed them.
Thank you for reading. This is the second publication in my series regarding “Topics in Misanthropy”.
