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Albert O. Hirschman , The Passions and the Interests (1977), p. 12-13 According to Shadiya (2012), Karl Marx is a sociologist proposed a theory that human beings are the outcomes of the materials and economic circumstances. Machiavelli's view of human nature influences his recommendation for governing, different from other humanist at his time. Which will be easy to do if he protects their interests (Machiavelli 32). . A wolf has a little bit of smarts and can be fierce when they are in packs. More specifically, Machiavelli tells readers that what kind of personality and morality a successful prince should have. ~Machiavelli- goal is to show how a specific person, a Prince, can keep a nation strong. A good leader is able to have respect, loyalty, and an efficient workforce, which can all be easily obtained by a leader who is loved. Through his detailed accounts of history and his ruthless approach to ruling Machiavelli explains why he tends to favor the ancients and has. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! That is why my views on human nature do not impact me because it is normal to me. The two exactly same faces represent the idea of the empty inside human mind. report, Machiavellis View of Human Nature. Erasmus was a Dutch intellectual and leader of the Christian humanists who wrote a treatise on political. He feels that men respond more strongly to fear than love. The book provides historically tested and proven principles of leadership. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! "10 By encouraging citizens to excel at their professions he would also be encouraging them to "increase the prosperity of the their state. His advice on how to maintain power leaves no room for compassion or generousity. He does not have to be loved by the people, but he must not be hated and should always be respected. This essay is not an endorsement of any political party or statement. 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). 37). There are many different views regarding how a prince should rule, but in The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, he advises Lorenzo de' Medici to rule with absolute power and to take extreme measures when necessary to maintain his power. Niccol Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and sixteenth-century theorists of "reason of state" may be regarded as the initiators of a tradition of political thinking very distant from and even opposite to natural law doctrines. Throughout our study of political theory this semester there seems to be a recurring theme prevalent in each of the readings . From the classical sense of the term virtue, Machiavelli interpretation of human nature shows a completely different angle and assumption compared to the modern definition and classical interpretation of the same. Fear is constant, but love of the people can easily change. 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). Philosophers have no way of accepting this until it is proven. They got it wrong. Instead of endorsing morality, just as Rousseau wanted, Hobbes and Machiavelli sought after security. His ideas reflect those of a liberal and democratic society. Stevenson (as cited in Shadiya, 2012) in his words it is not the consciousness of men that determines their beings, but, on the contrary, their social existence/being determines their, According to Christianity doctrines, human beings are made of both materials, that is dust from the ground, and immaterial, that is soul or mind. Please check back weekly to see what we have added. Petrarch's premier quality in his "ideal prince" is that he should be more or less friendly to good citizens and "terrifying" (10.1 Petrarch: Rules For The Ruler) to evil citizens, therefore he is a friend of justice. The lion is fierce but doesnt have the smarts, while a fox has the smarts but isn 't fierce. 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. If a prince can not be both feared and loved, Machiavelli suggests, it would be better for him to be feared bey the citizens within his own principality. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), an Italian bureaucrat wrote in his book The Prince in 1532 about guideline for how to take over, defeat, and rule groups of people. Oppenheimer opines that ''the inevitability of treachery renders inevitable an invalidation of all ideologies'' (297), but the closest he comes to explaining the concept of ''beyond ideology'' in the book's subtitle is the assertion that, according to Machiavelli, He suggests that most people can easily be manipulated to behave as a leader wishes, even against their own best interests. So, when human beings die, they only die as physical body, and are raised as spiritual body. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Supplemental understanding of the topic including revealing main issues described in the particular theme; 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. Views 510. 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. 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. Humanists believed that An individual only grows to maturity- both intellectually and morally- through participation in the life of the state.4 Machiavelli generally distrusted citizens, stating that in time of adversity, when the state is in need of its citizens there are few to be found.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.6 However, Machiavelli did not feel that a Prince should mistreat the citizens. His mindset was simple. The point, however, is, these issues or aspects have met at a single point and this point isthe nature of society, the . Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. 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. In Machiavellis book, The Prince, he maintains a harsh perspective on reality. Machiavelli was a realist, and had a rather negative view on human nature. 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. What is Machiavelli's overview of human nature in general and why is it so? Neither in power nor in possessions are always in fact limited by natural scarcity. Ethical beliefs are Platos main focus in a government. 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. This essay was written by a fellow student. The Prince, This is a significant analysis of Niccolo Machiavellis book The Prince. He makes the generalization that men are, ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well they are yours.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.8 Machiavelli reinforces the princes need to be feared by stating:Men worry less about doing an injury to one who makes himself loved than to one who makes himself feared. "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]. Throughout the middle ages it was the church was the dominant and the supreme and the major part of the state and the church had political power and ruled the state and the pope of the church had supreme authority even in the sway of politics, as god was feared and the church was the creation of the god so the popes or the father were given and was considered as a dominant authority over the state of affairs to that of the state as that the soul has the supreme authority over the body, it was during that time that it was assumes that the church has a superior authority and position as compare, but Machiavelli was opposed to this idea as he thought of it differently and with this and his intellectual thoughts he believed and promoted religion but with his own twist of idea. At one place in 'The Prince' he says," Men are ungrateful, fickle . However, Hobbes enlarges and extends the relationship between those at the top of the mountain and in the valley. Human wants has no particular limit, they are greedy, sensual creature, mean, bad and depraved and he even goes on to saying that a human being only cares for himself, their family and their property and to conquer this they are ready to do anything even to the extent of forgiving their enemy, he even says that in order to safeguard their priorities they can even forgive the murder of their father or any kin for that matter than the seizure of his property or any harm to himself. Answer (1 of 17): Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian renaissance, historian, philosopher, politician, humanist and writer ,born on 3rd May 1469. Machiavelli considered a good prince to be a mixture of a fox and a lion. From Islamic perspective, human are dualistic possessing both a body and a soul. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. 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. All work is written to order. In the piece, The Prince, Niccol Machiavelli argues the many principles of how a prince should and should not rule. Machiavelli's concept of Human nature is given in his famous work 'The Prince'. Why does Machiavelli believe that having ministers is better than having nobles/barons? All that matters is having the authority/power necessary to preserve control and keep society in order. Throughout his writings, Machiavelli subscribes to a consistent theory of human nature. His idea of the ruler as a pretender is so relevant event in todays time, as politicians and other influential personalities even though highly corrupted and evil from within tend and try to make a clear and a white impression to and in front of the masses and hoax them in order to increase their vote banks or to gain their benefit and profit. 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. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? to help you write a unique paper. Humans are insatiable but full of desires. Man by nature has some virtues and is not purely selfish. Writing Help Login . of human nature and politics have not changed since antiquity. He laid aside the Medieval conception "of the state as a necessary creation for humankinds spiritual, material, and social well-being. Psyche means soul. In other words, for Marx, there is no such thing as human nature. Machiavelli says that a ruler should protect the people, their families and their properties and he can rule over them without any hassle. Machiavelli saw human nature as duplicitous. 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. match. Both Hobbes and Machiavelli believed that human beings are by nature amoral. According to him human beings are very selfish, wicked, degenerate, Unscrupulous and opportunists. Morality and justice are necessarily artificial, imposed by a ruthless will. Islamic View on Human Nature In this work Machiavelli stresses the importance of being a warrior prince, a wise prince, and knowing how to navigate the duality of virt and vices. Machiavelli?s view of human nature in The Prince, presents, on the surface, a view of governing a state drastically different for his time. His intentions are clear, and his words are powerful. 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. This book explores multiple concepts on leadership and governance for a Prince to legislate on his road to success. However, Machiavelli holds that the primary objective of the state is to serve itself and the prince. For example a partnership between two persons and one dies, the partnership would be terminated and a new agreement formed if another person decides to enter into a partnership with the existing partner., Petrarch felt that a ruler needed to be mature, so that "no rumor, no hint of rebellion disturbed the city" (10.1 Petrarch: Rules For The Ruler). HUMAN NATURE Humans are selfish animals: - Reject the ancient or medieval ideas: - People are not by nature community oriented - People must satisfy their appetite and at the same time establish stable government, however tenuous. 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