Comparing Human Nature In Hobbes And Machiavelli

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Human Nature in Hobbes and Machiavelli and the use of a Sovereign for Peace or Power The philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Niccolo Machiavelli, both speak of humans in their natural state, and how they are self-centred and greedy. Hobbes, in his work Leviathan, goes on to show that in order to control human nature, society must elect for a sovereign to rule and serve as the head, to represent the entire population. In contrast, Machiavelli in The Prince, shows how even with the sovereign in place, human nature will shine through and attempt to overthrow the ruler. Through his work, he teaches those in that position how to remain in power, or even those without power how to gain it and keep it. In this paper I will show through the works of these …show more content…

In chapter XVII of The Prince, he says “this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are, ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous” which are all traits that show a person is selfish in nature and greedy. He also states that “men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony” which shows that their inheritance is more important to a person than the loss of their own father, a person whom children look up to their whole lives but according to Machiavelli, they are easily forgotten when wealth is on the line. However, Machiavelli is describing his views on human nature from a society that already has a sovereign. He is saying that human nature will prevail even when people have become civilized and have an elected ruler unlike Hobbes whose argument is from the natural non-societal version of human …show more content…

Hobbes believes that in order to suppress human nature, the people must elect for a sovereign to be chosen and establish moral guidelines for society. This is the only way for people to become organized and not be at war with each other; the only way to suppress human nature in its natural form. Now with this newly elected sovereign, there might be conflict where people do not think that one man should have so much power over so many. However, Hobbes says “for all men are by nature provided of notable multiplying glasses, through which, every little payment appeareth a great grievance; but are destitute of those prospective glasses, to see a fare off the miseries that hang over them” which means that although people might not agree with the sovereign and don 't want to pay taxes and such, Hobbes is telling them to look at the way life was and could be without a sovereign. People will be reduced once again to act like animals and constantly be at war with everyone and will find themselves back in that natural state of selfishness and greed. A sovereign is needed to keep the

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