A related issue concerns the question of the psychological and social factors that cause people to become misanthropes. They include becoming disillusioned with someone that was adored before, socio-economic inequality, and living under an authoritarian regime. Misanthropy is relevant in various disciplines. It has been discussed and exemplified by philosophers throughout history. Examples include Heraclitus, Diogenes, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Misanthropic outlooks form part of some religious teachings discussing the deep flaws of human beings, like the Christian doctrine of original sin. Misanthropic perspectives and characters are also found in literature and popular culture. They include William Shakespeare's portrayal of Timon of Athens, Molière's play The Misanthrope, and Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Misanthropy is closely related to but not identical to philosophical pessimism. Some misanthropes promote antinatalism, the view that humans should abstain from procreation.
