future suffering is to prevent them from being born. The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement and the Church of Euthanasia are well-known examples of social movements in favor of antinatalism and human extinction. Antinatalism is commonly endorsed by misanthropic thinkers. But there are also many other ways that could lead to the extinction of the human species. This field is still relatively speculative but various suggestions have been made about threats to the long-term survival of the human species. An often-discussed scenario involves the outbreak of a worldwide nuclear war leaving Earth uninhabitable. Another threat is posed by advances in nano-technology, which may at some point lead to the development of self-replicating nanorobots that could get out of control. In the field of medicine, scientific advances could be used to create a deadly super-pathogen that could spread rapidly. While such cases are usually seen as terrible scenarios and dangerous threats, misanthropes may instead interpret them as reasons for hope that the abhorrent age of humanity in history may soon come to an end. A similar sentiment is expressed by Bertrand Russell, who states in relation to the existence of human life on earth and its misdeeds that they are "a passing nightmare; in time the earth will become again incapable of supporting life, and peace will return." Human exceptionalism and deep ecology Human exceptionalism is the claim that human beings have unique importance and are exceptional compared to all other species. It is often based on the claim that they stand out because of their special capacities, like intelligence, rationality, and autonomy. In religious contexts, it is frequently explained in relation to a unique role that God foresaw for them or that they were created in God's image. Human exceptionalism is usually combined with the claim that human well-being matters more than the well-being of other species. This line of thought can be used to draw various ethical conclusions, for example, that humans have the right to rule the planet and impose their will on other species or that inflicting harm on other species may be morally acceptable if it is done with the purpose of promoting human well-being and excellence. Generally speaking, the position of human exceptionalism is at odds with misanthropy since their outlooks on the value of humanity are in many ways diametrically opposed. Nonetheless, it has been argued that this is not necessarily the case and it