He says that man is not social but anti-social and tries to encourage his own interest every time. "14 In such a state,"[a] ruler was justified in his exercise of political power only if it contributed to the common good of the people he served, [and] the ethical side of a princes activityought to [be] based on Christian moral principles."15 Machiavelli believed a secular form of government to be a more realistic type. Humans are insatiable but full of desires. This claim especially clarifies the necessity of fear and the . Writing Help Login . Machiavelli believed that diplomacy, unlike military service, was of no significance for civic virtue, and that in foreign policy it was no substitute for arms and money. 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). My view on human nature is that it is affected by a persons attitude and their environment. Dont Machiavelli's concept of Human nature is given in his famous work 'The Prince'. Finally, both texts convey the concept of the body being the vessel of the mind and soul. All work is written to order. Machiavellis separation of religion is an outstanding idea and the way he uses religion for the advancement of the society and the betterment of the administration is absolutely commendable. 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. This means that the way the political and commercial world operated it was hard to achieve nobility or even decency without making someone else worse off. He laid aside the Medieval conception of the state as a necessary creation for humankinds spiritual, material, and social well-being.14 In such a state,a ruler was justified in his exercise of political power only if it contributed to the common good of the people he served, and the ethical side of a princes activityought to be based on Christian moral principles.15 Machiavelli believed a secular form of government to be a more realistic type. As opposed to regarding humans as having great potential, as was common in his time, Machiavelli analyzes power in a way that is more consistent with the realities of human nature. Many factors can contribute to a businesss demise such as inflation which causes an increase on interest rates and currency, a new product or service failure due to poor advertising techniques or the niche in which the product is being introduced does not fit (poor market research) and financial turmoil or collapse of a business because the business profits does not exceed its expenses. It was Machiavelli and his idea that there should be a separation of religion from politics; it was Machiavelli who divorced religion from politics and segregated them completely from one another like his separation of ethics and moral from politics. Machiavellis vie and point of human nature was very materialistic, he had rejected and turned down the ideologies of the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato who said that the state aims to make the people virtuous and good, he also dismisses the idea that existed in the medieval ages that the end of the state is to smooth the way of a man to eternal salvation. 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. Then for Machiavelli he talks about how a prince should show no fear instead for him to show that he is the one with power. A leaders cruelty enables him to make the decisions necessary for the kingdom, while also being miserly to keep the people happy. When comparing Machiavelli and Rousseaus presentation on human nature, one can see that Machiavellis idea of human nature was completely opposite compared to Rousseaus idea of human nature. Machiavelli thought that religious factor in the society is a driving force which a clever and intellectual ruler can use to turn the table in the game of politics and use religion for their own advantage and growth of the state. At that time, it does not matter what people think of themselves, but more importantly of what does the god think of. His ideas reflect those of a liberal and democratic society. Machiavelli's View On Human Nature Analysis Human nature has been the discussion of many of philosophical works. According to him human beings are very selfish, wicked, degenerate, Unscrupulous and opportunists. See how Italy beseeches God to send someone to save her from those barbarous cruelties and outrages; see how eager and willing the country is to follow a banner, if someone will raise it.18Although Italy had become the center of intellectual, artistic and cultural development, Machiavelli did not feel these qualities would help in securing Italys political future. This essay describes Thomas More and Niccolo Machiavelli, two greatest thinkers of the Renaissance age, have elaborated innovative ideas for their days, and it is possible to say that if they had been adopted they would have a very long-lasting effect. Thus the ruler in order to rule should be highly pretentious and if he pretends to the masses then they would be easy to rule conditioned that the ruler should protect their initial priorities regarding safety and security of them their family and their property. Machiavelli believes it is much safer to be feared than to be loved because people are less likely to offend and stand up against strong characters, also people are less concerned in offending a prince who has made himself loved. "5 Machiavelli further goes on to question the loyalty of the citizens and advises the Prince that "because men a wretched creatures who would not keep their word to you, you need keep your word to them. "Men are quick. The humanist Machiavelli and the materialist Hobbes emphasize the idea of human nature in their political theories. He was even considered as a person who is against religion and one who does not believes and because of this he was disliked and opposed many a times. 37). But he is here criticized with accordance to Plato and Aristotle who have said that throughout with the means of proper education man can be reformed. By nature, men love property and material objects than his own people and other human beings. That a prince's people should fear him. Machiavelli postulates that a prince must also deceive those who attempt to flatter him. "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]. 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. UKEssays.com does not accept payment of any kind for the publishing of political content, it has been published for educational purposes only. 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. Therefore, if a prince wants to maintain his rule he must learn not to be so virtuous, and to make use of this or not according to need.16Machiavellis was that, God does not want to do everything Himself, and take away from us our free will and our share of glory which belongs us.17 Having studied and experienced Italys political situation, Machiavelli derived these views. Niccolo Machiavelli's views of human nature strongly influenced his recommendations for governing. Despite the illusion of religion, the abstract human face is absolutely the idea of human spirituality. Machiavelli'sview of human nature was not in accord to that of humanists who felt that anindividual could greatly contribute to the well being of the society. According to Machiavelli, human nature is. Machiavelli described humans as self-interested. Man by nature has some virtues and is not purely selfish. Machiavelli however, along with some of his classical predecessors, saw ambition and spiritedness, and therefore war, as inevitable and part of human nature. According to Marx, society will influence people due to the moral, ideas and attitudes. 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. Nevertheless, it enhanced the virt of even the strongest prince. Machiavelli believed that diplomacy, unlike military service, was of no signicance According to Machiavellis concept of human nature man is an animal who is bad and depraved and that he cannot be reformed by any method. 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. Both of their ideas have been taught for years, and are certainly essential to understand how they interpret a perfect polis. His opinion of human nature is eye-poppingly low. The present article is a slightly revised version of my chapter on Machiavelli in this book. As for a comparison between the two texts of all that were given, we could take a look at the text Renaissance Humanist Values and the difference between Machiavellis ideologies to that of Pico Della Mirandola 's Oration on the Dignity of Man. In fact it is a show-stopper, a literary masterpiece of sorts. One way is to "show his esteem for talent actively encouraging the able and honouring those who excel in their professionsso that they can go peaceably about their business. See this video to understand the instructions of Machiavelli on the Human Nature.Stay tuned to learn more and more about Machiavelli.Thanks for watching this. 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 . the nature of the people thoroughly, and one of the populace to know the nature of princes" (Machiavelli 1950, 4). I. Machiavelli 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. The two exactly same faces represent the idea of the empty inside human mind. Machiavelli's theory of Government is determined by his conception of the study of human nature. 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 Machiavellis suggestions seem harsh and immoral one must remember that these views were derived out of concern Italys unstable political condition.3Though humanists of Machiavellis time believed that an individual had much to offer to the well being of the state, Machiavelli was quick to mock human nature. Spirit is transcendent and the center of mans being. 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 . They are interconnecting one another. On the other hand, "The Origin of Civil Society," an essay written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a significant modern philosopher, in 1762, focuses on the issue of the . His mindset was simple. With a combination of rhetorical devices, a symphony of teachings are made and preached. She states the importance of the body, that after all it should not be objectified as a mere tool of advertisement or to be jeered, This suggests that the mind and body are two entities that function separately from one another, and there is not a possibility of unity between the two, In the early sixteenth century there were two people that wrote about political power and the correct way to rule, both of these people would have great influence on their time period as well as future ones. Plato and Machiavelli were nevertheless, as similar as they were different on their beliefs in an idealistic government. 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. It can be summarised as follows : Human nature is essentially not good. We provide an educational supplement for better understanding of classic and contemporary literature. 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