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Why is the fourth part of Gulliver’s Travels considered especially dark and controversial?

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Illustration of Lemuel Gulliver lying on the ground, tied down by tiny Lilliputians, with crowds and small buildings in the background, from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. — Gulliver’s Travels Lemuel Gulliver in Lilliput, illustration from an edition of Jonathan Swift's *Gulliver's Travels*.

The fourth part of Gulliver’s Travels is considered particularly dark and controversial because it presents a deeply cynical view of humanity that challenges the reader's perception of human nature.12

In this section, Gulliver encounters the Houyhnhnms, a race of rational, virtuous horses, and the Yahoos, a race of brutish, filthy, and greedy humanoids. The controversy arises from several key factors:32

The Identification of Humanity as Yahoos: Gulliver is forced to admit that the Yahoos are human beings. By contrasting the noble, rational horses with the degenerate Yahoos, the narrative suggests that humans are inherently base and incapable of true virtue.31
Gulliver’s Misanthropy: Upon returning to England, Gulliver is so disgusted by his fellow humans—whom he now views as Yahoos—that he rejects his own family and prefers the company of horses. This indicates that Gulliver himself has become imbalanced.321
Philosophical Challenge: The book forces readers to confront the possibility that humanity is incapable of achieving the perfect rationality and simplicity exemplified by the Houyhnhnms, leading to debates over whether the work is a profound satire or a misanthropic depreciation of humankind.12