Machiavelli, on the other hand, prefers to be in control and tells people this in The Prince. By route of their power, Principes should keep their citizens content. Just like Hobbes, Machiavelli also felt that mankind was selfish, dishonest, susceptible, and sadistic. While Locke and Marx have faith in human reasoning, Machiavelli does not have trust in human intentions. Machiavelli's view of human nature was not in accord to that of humanists who felt that an individual could greatly contribute to the well being of the society. They will change, according to the changes in society. Machiavelli's Philosophy on Human Nature MACHIAVELLI'S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. "19, Novelguide.com is the premier free source for literary analysis on the web. Machiavelli was a secretary who worked for the Medicis, after the Medici family was expelled from the city he would reflect on what he thought of politics and how he thought they should be by writing The Prince, it would become a very famous book even in the present day. Machiavelli did not, however, disagree with Cicero on all points. Machiavelli quotes, Men love at their pleasure, but fear at the pleasure of the prince, who should therefore depend upon that which in his own, not upon that which is of others. The humanist Machiavelli and the materialist Hobbes emphasize the idea of human nature in their political theories. He wanted to liberate us from what he saw as juvenility and our sense of guilt about this world. Islamic View on Human Nature Niccolo Machiavelli's View On Human Nature, Social/Political Psychology Without these attributes there was no way that a prince could hold together their state and their people. His opinion was that Italy required a leader who could have complete control over Italy's citizens and institutions. "6 However, Machiavelli did not feel that a Prince should mistreat the citizens. His viewpoint on ruling was that a ruler must do whatever they can in order to improve the state no matter what, or in his words The ends justify the means(The Prince). The attitude comes from the Seven Deadly Sins. All of us adapt to an environment that will require one of the traits from the seven sins. Machiavelli says that, Men are ungrateful, fickle, deceitful, cowardly and avaricious. From this it sums up to the conclusion that a ruler or a monarch should aim rather to be feared than to be loved. Like Hobbes, he is very pessimistic about human nature and believes that men by nature are purely selfish and they, in their lives, are always motivated by selfish desires. However, after looking further into Machiavellis political past, one can see that Machiavelli is in fact an intelligent man who possesses a hidden motive to write his novel. He says that man is not social but anti-social and tries to encourage his own interest every time. Rowe also brings up the issue with something being the same person, where he points out that there is no evidence to prove this. One aspect of Machiavellis theory which significantly contributes to his reputation as the philosopher of evil, is his advice to the prince on keeping their word to the public. The prince cannot make people love him, but he has control over his peoples fear of him. Hobbes also held the same view. Machiavelli's View of Human Nature In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. In a society where they are free, everything becomes unorganized and confusing. Having studied and experienced Italy's political situation, Machiavelli derived these views. Machiavelli strongly promoted a secular society and felt morality was not necessary but in fact stood in the way of an effectively governed principality.2 Though in come cases Machiavelli's suggestions seem harsh and immoral one must remember that these views were derived out of concern Italy's unstable political condition.3. In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. Why did Machiavelli write The Prince? Machiavelli believes that human beings are insatiable and mean by nature. Dont In fact, presenting the Roman Empires platform helped the reader to thoroughly understand Machiavellis political theory regarding governance and the, Machiavellis The Prince presents a realistic account of the qualities necessary for political success. In the medieval paradigm, people paid much attention on religions and humans spirituality. In answering the question of whether it is better to be loved than feared, Machiavelli writes, The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. In essence, human nature is evil; human beings are faithless to the words of the authority and do not always keep their promises.These negative . With similarities shared between the ruler and the common person the ruler will then be able to relate and be more respected amongst the population, as opposed to a ruler who rules with his own self interest at hand. In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. "10 By encouraging citizens to excel at their professions he would also be encouraging them to "increase the prosperity of the their state. In this regard Machiavelli pronounces that for good laws to exist, there must be good armies (Machiavelli, 2008, p. 42-43). In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli presents a . Machiavelli's general opinion that men are selfish contains an underlying truth to the human nature. Machiavelli, in short, may no more need a general conception of human nature than the economist needs to 'believe in' the existence of Economic Man. Machiavelli ([1532] 2006) in The Prince theorizes the qualities that a dominant leader should have to gain and maintain power., Machiavelli asserts, of men generally; they are ungrateful, fickle, feigners and dissemblers, avoiders of danger, eager for gain and that men are treacherous and would not keep their promises to you. Do you agree with his assessment of people? Mohyuddin reported that there is components in human nature. Machiavelli postulates that a prince must also deceive those who attempt to flatter him. People are fundamentally self-interested and unreliable. In 1513, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince, telling rulers how they should rule. In Machiavellis book, The Prince, he maintains a harsh perspective on reality. In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready "7 He characterizes men as being self centered and not willing to act in the best interest of the state,"[and when the prince] is in danger they turn against [him]. Does his view of mans relation to fortune reflect optimism or pessimism?, Stability in a rulers morals and ethics are a vital asset to have when ruling a group of people. For Aristotle, reason is what makes a person human, and he said that virtue is best realized in the communal life of the polis (city-state) and that the human being is a social animal (or polis-animal). No plagiarism, guaranteed! While reading through Machiavellis The Prince and Hobbes Leviathan, both introduced a common focus on political theory even though living approximately 100 years apart. In his famous work the Prince Niccolo Machiavelli exposes what it takes to be a good prince and how only this good price and keep control over his state. In conclusion, the city develops the people as the people develop the city. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. Study for free with our range of university lectures! Human consists of various combinations which are biological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral elements. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. His ideas reflect those of a liberal and democratic society. Everyone has the Seven deadly sins on them because it is part of our human nature. He states that a ruler cannot always be virtuous and good as different situations could lead him to evil and inhumane acts as shown in his statement "learn how not to be good"(Machiavelli, Ch. Philosophers have no way of accepting this until it is proven. He also states that while it is unnecessary for the prince to have positive qualities, such as honesty, trustworthiness, sympathy, compassion, or be religious, it is essential for the prince to be viewed so by the public (pg. However, these ideas are not manifested explicitly to be topics that can be discussed until later. Plato and Machiavelli were nevertheless, as similar as they were different on their beliefs in an idealistic government. Machiavelli viewed humans as inherently selfish and corrupt, these is his main argument for the need for a political dictatorship as the ultimate form of government. He is known as the first modern political thinker. Unlike Machiavelli, most humanists of the Renaissance strongly believed that each individual played an extremely important role in society. To simplify, Machiavelli says princes are obligated to lie in certain circumstances. His view regarding human nature is that of an high resemblance to that of Hobbes. Machiavelli probably sensed that a realistic theory of the state required a knowledge of human nature, but his remarks on that subject, while invariably acute, are scattered and unsystematic. MACHIAVELLI'S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli presents a view of governing a state that is drastically different from that of humanists of his time. The nature of human beings for Machiavelli, therefore, consists of being suspicious and untrusting, which is why the Prince should be sly like the fox and intimidating and frightening like the lion. His views were to the benefit of the prince, in helping him maintain power rather than to serve to the well being of the citizens. Nevertheless I believe, if we are to keep our free will, that it may be true that fortune controls half of our actions indeed but allows us the direction of the other half, or almost half (Machiavelli, 8). They are interconnecting one another. Locke, Marx and Machiavelli have different perceptions of human nature. Knowing that man was corrupt he also felt that it would be best if society was ruled over by a sovereign government, an absolute monarchy, to ensure stability, whoever has power has the right to command; but goodness does not ensure power and the good person has no more authority by virtue of being good the only real concern of the political ruler is the acquisition and maintenance of power (Nederman, 2014). Humans love themselves first and then think about other things and that they are not law abiding citizens. Even though Machiavelli may have had other motivation for the writing of "The Prince",. The content of the book is based on his observations and descriptions of human behavior. Even though people thought change was bad, Machiavelli writes about the renaissance rebirth because renaissance was the rebirth and change is good for the state. The book provides historically tested and proven principles of leadership. While learning about these two philosophers and their proposed theories, I noticed an innate relationship in the discussion of societys human nature. Once again, he has a pessimistic outlook on what the optimal person is. Why does Machiavelli believe that having ministers is better than having nobles/barons? He thus was unmoral and not immoral. His intentions are clear, and his words are powerful. This explains the link between people's nature as captured by Machiavelli, and the leadership style suggested by him. Machiavelli had assumed and had given the human nature a dark picture to an extreme that some think that he had considered humans to that of animals. Plato considered state as the sole priority and religion to be a moral and an integrated part of the state. Petrarch said that citizens needed to feel secure and free, and that no innocent blood should be spilled, unnecessarily. In our state of nature, Hobbes says we have no rights but Locke suggests that we have natural rights Hobbes shows that humans are naturally evil that lays down the groundwork . Through his detailed accounts of history and his ruthless approach to ruling Machiavelli explains why he tends to favor the ancients and has. Machiavelli believes the ruling Prince should be the sole authority determining every aspect of the state and put in effect a policy which would serve his best interests. The content of the book is based on his observations and descriptions of human behavior. In Machiavellis distinct view a worthy politician isnt honest and moral. He advocated this style of governance because we live in a jungle - an ugly universe without ethics. Machiavelli has become to be regarded as the founder of modern day, secular politics.19. Throughout our study of political theory this semester there seems to be a recurring theme prevalent in each of the readings . Thus Machiavelli thought about religion as a powerful instrument so far that it is in the hands of the wise ruler to sustain and uphold the national morale of the state. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/machiavellis-view-of-human-nature/, Machiavellis Views Of Human Nature And Their Relevance, The Prince Machiavellis Economy of Violence, How Has George Orwell Used Animal Farm to Present His View of Human Nature? Machiavellis saying that men is ready to sacrifice their kin or relations for the sake and security of his priorities, but Machiavelli here also says that the top three priorities of man are life, family and then property, so how can he give up one priority to meet the other. Literary Analysis, Machiavellis View of Human Nature in The Prince, Nature vs. Nurture: Human Nature is Uncontrollable, Nature Is Created by Itself, While Art Is the Creation of Nature. Views 510. The use of lying and deception in politics is moral, because they are essential tools utilized by politicians to maintain the overall wellbeing of the society. Man, by nature is selfish. He must have wisdom to choose the least risky venture and act on it courageously and wisdom in picking his advisors. Human beings are moral animals. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. In answering this, explain why Machiavelli holds the conception of human nature that you think he does - upon what, that is, does his conception rest? Machiavelli described humans as self-interested. Your two-paragraph response should quote and reference a couple of very key passages in these chapters that bear upon this all-important matter for his political theory. Machiavelli had discussed this in the beginning of The Prince about the human nature. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. Machiavelli writes:Italy is waiting to see who can be the one to heal her wounds, put and end to the sacking of Lombardy, to extortion in the Kingdom and in Tuscany, and cleanse those sores which have been festering so long. Please check back weekly to see what we have added. 45. Machiavelli, however felt that people generally tended to work for their own best interests and gave little obligation to the well being of the state. Conversely, Machiavelli had a very negative view on human nature and was quick to mock it. That is why my views on human nature do not impact me because it is normal to me. In Machiavellis, The Prince, he states that, Men never do good except out of necessity, but when they have the freedom to choose and can do as they please, everything becomes confused and disorderly (182). Thus Machiavelli believed that the best form of society was one where the Prince ruled his kingdom. Machiavelli, however felt that people generally tended to work for their own best interests and gave little obligation to the well being of the state. Nicolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes were well known for their crucial roles in forming the foundation of political philosophy. Both authors also reflect the fact that the way their people are going to act towards them is mainly based off of how they treat them. Machiavelli, however felt that people generally tended to work for their own best interests and gave little obligation to the well being of the state. All that matters is having the authority/power necessary to preserve control and keep society in order. This is an archetypal example illustrating Machiavelli's view of human nature, that people are volatile and need manipulating if order is to be achieved. - People may also embrace rational politics, even religious salvation, if . Machiavelli considered a good prince to be a mixture of a fox and a lion. His views and ideas regarding human nature are the pure result of the observations he made and the conditions that prevailed at that particular time in Italy.
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