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In What Ways Does Machiavelli's View Of Human Nature?

Decent Essays

1. How does Machiavelli view human nature? Provide examples in your explanation. Throughout the book, M view human beings as deceitful, superficial, and fragile. M repeatedly mentions that humans are only concerned with upcoming situations and always fail to view the farther future. Also, people require constant protection from a prince, since they are fragile and powerless. But in terms of domestic politics, they are the most rebellious, therefore powerful, group of people who constantly threatens the prince’s position. For example, M lists and explains different ways how a prince could rise to power, and one of the methods mentioned about a citizen, through popularity, possibly overthrowing an unpopular prince’s throne.

2. Compare and contrast the …show more content…

This way is riskier than the method already mentioned, since the new prince will most likely reform the previous government and its laws; therefore, he will be either extremely successful or forfeited. The last common method is a citizen rising to power, and this is a safer method than the second one mentioned, as the rising prince has already gained popularity from his people. 3. Do you think Machiavelli’s ‘realistic’ advice to aspiring leaders is on the money? What particular advice do you find good or bad? Why? M does emphasize the importance of being miserly, but it is not the main focus of his argument; he rather emphasizes the overall qualities that a prince must possess as a ruler of the country: charisma, stealthiness, and popularity. I found this advice on a prince’s quality important, and the most “realistic,” as it easily and directly tells us which qualities the ruler must possess.

4. Chapter 16: Machiavelli discusses a prince being generous vs. miserly. How can generosity sometimes bring harm to a prince? How is it better for a prince to be a miser? Can you relate any of this to our policies on taxation and spending on social

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