Different Philosophers, Nicolo Machiavelli And Thomas Hobbes

For thousands of years, philosophers have debated whether we have a basically good nature that is corrupted by society, or a basically bad nature that is kept in check by society. Human beings are highly social creatures. Because of this we are intensely interested in what others are doing, and why. We need to know who is good and bad and therefore who we want to avoid and who we can tolerate. In this essay I will discuss the theme of human nature and compare the thoughts of two influential philosophers, Nicolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Both Machiavelli and Hobbes express their thoughts and opinions on the topic of human nature in their work. In Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† dating back to the renaissance is one of the most controversial pieces of writing still studied to this day. Machiavelli believes that we are born either powerful or born as nobody’s or as â€Å"private citizens† as he describes it (Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapters 12-18). Within this piece Machiavelli outlines and provides insight to human behavior as a way of set guidelines for future princes to abide by so that they can establish a successful reign while in power. In return it should help create a peaceful and secure kingdom for themselves and their followers. He believed that the end always justified the means and that there were only two ways a person could come to power, prowess and fortune. However virtue was a big characteristic as well, on account of it showed strength in character and portrayedShow MoreRelatedMain Theories Of Major Political Thinkers Essay3882 Words   |  16 Pages2003). So when we look for m ajor political thinkers some famous names come in the first place and they are the names of Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 bce) and Aristotle (384-322 bce); British thinker Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1704); French dreamer Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78); Italian thinker Nicolà ² Machiavelli (1469-1527) and Garman philosopher Karl Marx (1818- 1883) as the political philosophies or theories they gave were more logical and regarded as more influentialRead MoreGlobal Politics Essay6696 Words   |  27 Pagessocieties in which there is no state structure. Sovereignty is a political idea, a form of legitimation, a way of thinking about power and rule (Hinsley 1986:25). The question that then must be asked is what caused people, rulers, philosophers and scholars to begin to think about power and rule in terms of state and sovereignty? Since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the state has been regarded and accepted as the basic unit of international politics and the concept