'Philanthropy' is Greek for 'love of humankind' — the opposite of misanthropy. Simple as that.
The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by generous donations of money to good causes.
From Proto-Indo-European *bh2iH- ("to love, hold dear") + *h2ner- ("man, human"), reaching English through Greek philanthropia ("love of humanity"), Latin philanthropia, and into Early Modern English by the 17th century. The Greek philos ("loving, friend") descends from PIE *bh2iH-, while anthropos ("human being") is from PIE *h2ner- ("man") combined with a suffix suggesting the upright being who looks at the sky. The word was used in Greek to describe the benevolence of the gods toward humanity; Aeschylus
Philanthropy literally means 'love of humans' — the exact opposite of 'misanthropy' (hatred of humans). In ancient Athens, philanthropic citizens funded warships, festivals, and public buildings out of civic duty. The Greek prefix 'phil-' (loving) appears in 'philosophy' (love of wisdom), 'Philadelphia' (city of brotherly
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