Originally Posted by azix_zee

Originally Posted by azix_zee

Machiavelli's conception of Human Nature:

1.Like Hobbes, he held that all men were wicked and essentially selfish. Men were ungrateful, fickle, deceitful, cowardly and avaricious.
2.Fear is the one dominating element in life and is mightier than love.
3.Men always commit the error of not knowing when to limit their hopes.
4.He feels that the best way of ensuring liberty for himself is by Establishing dominion over others.
5.His conception of human nature lead to the diversion of ethics and politics.
6.State is not a natural organism but a contrivance against the evil nature of men.

Criticism on Machiavelli conception of Human Nature:

1.He did not believe in the moral progress of man and therefore, have a poor idea of human nature.
2.Before Machiavelli, political power of the state was only a a means in the service of a higher end; securing of good life but his thought is based on the concept that power is an end in itself.
3.Machiavelli was the first to coin the word, State.

Machiavelli's PRINCE:

1.Sate is the highest form of association and consideration of the welfare of the state is must which outweighs the any consideration of the welfare of individual or group welfare.
2.Machiavelli almost identifies the state with the ruler. Caesar must make himself worth of this worship by a ruthless ans successful seizure of power.
3.Those things were virtuous in a Prince which excelled in bringing success and power and these were cunning, deceit, ruthlessness, energy, boldness, shrewdness and unflinching will.
4.Integrity may be theoretical better than collusion but cunning ans subtlety are often very useful.
5.A prince must combine in himself the rational ans the brutal, the Law and force.
6.A wise price will not keep his parole and the preservation of the state is the raisin d'etre of the monarchy.
7.A clever prince will attack his enemy before the latter is ready.
8.Prince will establish internal unity by thorough-going despotism.
9.A prince might execute a conspirator but should not confiscate his property for confiscation would more seriously taken notice by the affected family than execution.
10.A prince must avoid being condemned by being building up a reputation of being variable, inconsistent, effeminate and irresolute.
11.The prince must be a col and calculated opportunist and will oppose evil by evil.
12.He must be ready, in the interest of the state, to be ready to sin boldly.
13.For a prince, Dishonesty is also the best of policy.
14.Machiavelli's Prince was not concerned with the ethics of his patients public actions but only with the means of maintaining his patient.

Originally Posted by azix_zee