Machiavelli’s View of Human Nature

Niccolo Machiavelli is a political philosopher in Florence, Italy. He lived in the Italian Renaissance from May 1469 to 1527. The period in which Machiavelli lived was "rebirth" of Italian art and rediscovered ancient philosophy, literature and science. Machiavelli's humanity philosophy is that people have good points and bad points, but if all are equal, he tends to be of his own interest. Therefore, human beings are eternal creatures. Machiavelli's view of human nature affected his way of thinking about the government.

=========================================================== ======= === MACHIAVELLI 's Human Nature In the Prince of Niccolo, Machiavelli proposed a way to manage a country different from the humanitarian of his time. Machiavelli believes that the prince ought to be the only authority to determine all aspects of the country and to implement his best interest policy. These benefits are acquiring, maintaining and expanding his political power 1 An understanding of Humanity is quite contradictory to Humanist's beliefs and teachings. Humanitarians believe that "individuals only" can grow intellectually and morally by participating in people's lives. '4 Machiavelli generally does not trust citizens, in the adversity, very few people can find it when the country needs that citizen. However, Machiavelli does not feel the prince ought to abuse citizens

Machiavelli believes that human beings are not satisfied and are born with meaning. Humans are not happy, but they are full of desire. His views on humanity are very similar to Hobbes' view. The view on Machiavelli's politics, religion and morality is basically based on the view on human nature. Machiavelli said, "Men are ungrateful, fickle, cheated, cowardly, greedy." Machiavelli said that the rulers should protect people, their families and their property, he can dominate them without difficulty. "People like their happiness, but since they are afraid of the happiness of the prince, the prince should rely on himself, not others.