Machiavelli and Human Nature

Human Nature Machiavellian views of power were, and remain to be, controversial due to his assumptions surrounding the fundamental nature of man. 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. He recognizes that societies of people are unpredictable and thus difficult to manage. Throughout the text, there are multiple suggestions for how a ruler would be able to maintain his power over the people regardless of their capricious nature. In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli asserts that, due to this erratic nature of man, a wise prince must anticipate any and every possible threat to his power by establishing control over his people while also avoiding their hatred. Machiavelli insists that men are instinctive beings that are only able to act out of their own self- interest. They are egocentric and unable, when given the choice, to act in the best interest of the state. Machiavelli states that “... one can generally say this about men: they are ungrateful, fickle simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, and greedy for gain” (58). Men always wish to gain something from their government. Whether it be protection or social benefits, men in general are greedy and need constantly to be reminded of the benefits of their government. A wise prince must always be conscious of this erratic and ungrateful behavior of his constituents. Machiavelli views power as a relationship between the government and the people. Power is a state of compromise between things the ruler can and cannot control. The prince is able to decide how he wishes to be perceived by his people yet he is unable to completely control the actions of his citizens. He is, however, able to deter them from doing things that threaten his power through the use of punishment and force. Due to the fickle nature of humans, “affairs should be managed in such a way that