Human Nature and Power Essay

During the Renaissance, earthy brilliant philosophers ready explored the opinion of human race being tempera handst. The question, what motivates humanity has been taken into consideration in the composure of well-nigh e very nightspot. By establishing that premise, many went on to puddle an nousl order with the intention of developing that thought. Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas more be outstanding representatives among them. In two more thans Utopia and Machiavellis The Prince, perfect societies be constructed. However, much and Machiavelli have different opinions about the human nature in semblance to the role of military unit and situation.Thomas to a greater extent optimistically describes human nature. He depicts that man by nature is good- bringed and conforming. He believes that human nature finish be improved. Therefore, if the governing power is to be removed wherefore man would be a less hostile force. Niccolo Machiavelli, on the opposite hand, des cribes human nature negatively. Man is untrustworthy, ungrateful, voracityy and lying. Machiavelli suggests that man will never channelize and that one will forever and a day attempt to overcome the other. Power and liberty is implied in the very essence of Machiavellis work.It is tied in with the greed and selfishness. to a greater extent believed human nature to be good, created by God, and susceptible to dandy improvement if social, political, and economic conditions were reformed so that human misery were eliminated and that fundamental frequency human justice were in that locationby liberated and nurtured. More believed in socialist economy insofar as it would eliminate private property, which he saw as the root of evil. He believed that when private property exists, and when money occults all other considerations, then it is hardly ever possible for a commonwealth to be governed justly or happily. More believes that justice simply can non exist when the welt citizens own the best things, or where property is limited to a few. In such a situation, those who have so much atomic number 18 always uneasy, fearing they will have it taken, and those who have so little are dead wretched (More 38). Where thither is no justice, people will believe that there is no reward for virtue, which will result in people behaving tally to their lowest standards, rather than according to their highest.In Utopia, Thomas More see of human nature is far more positive than negative. While he certainly shows an awareness of the flaws in human beings, he attri thoes those flaws more to the environment, and political and socioeconomic factors, than to the nature of humanity. In other words, More shows that human nature can be altered by altering the environment. If the environment is improved, importation socially, politically and economically, then the behavior of human beings will be improved, convey out the best in human nature.So in Mores view, if the governing power and authority is to be removed then man would be a less hostile force. Machiavelli expresses his view of the canonic lack of goodness in human nature. He believes that in general, nearly people have a primary interest in themselves, and are motivated by their financial greed. Men are mainly come to with their property and honor. When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men merry content If he wishes to profess goodness at all quantify he must fall to ruin among so many who are not good. If he wishes to carry on his power, he must learn how not to be good, and to use it or not according to necessity (Machiavelli 127). Machiavelli, envisions caller as one that turns to power and satisf follow up of vices as seen through The Prince. Machiavelli advises that to maintain power one must learn to be corrupt. This advice is given imputable to the idea that one who knows not corruption and believes in truth is confront with those who use manipu lation as part of the job. Machiavelli also sees pursuing virtue as an act that leads to ruin, while serving vice will plait life.Human nature is one that tends to be drawn to pleasant, satisfactory things. If there is no benefit to the self for actions performed, motivation to perform such actions will be low or nonexistent. As seen throughout history, many actions have been taken in order for people to gain power, dismantle if that action is genocide. Men are willing to step over men in order to have power and make an enjoyable life for hisself. such occurrences can be seen multiple times, being unprompted and completely by choice of the power hungry.According to the different point of view of human nature from More and Machiavelli above, we can understand how More and Machiavelli view power and the role of power and authority. In the Prince, the authority is in either monarchy or dictatorship. Machiavelli focuses on the manipulation of the people to maintain power. The import ance lies in the fact that in a monarchy or dictatorship, one person has the power in a society and all the rest serve only to conform him. Starkly different is Mores creation.His society is a accepted communist one and it could also beargued that it is also a democracy. Leaders are elected by the people, who make their owndecisions freely. Nothing, not even power, is owned in that society by an individual. The power is distri preciselyed, thus empowerment. The capitalism of Machiavellis world, the idea strongly ties in with this contrast. it was written for the use of one man to dominate over and control his kingdom, it was obviously not meant for lesser mortals. It in itself is a tool of power which could be used for only the good of the prince who uses it.Whether or not the people are empowered does not matter, it is irrelevant. It only matters that theprince uses it to maintain his own power. In contrast, Utopia is a fantasy written by More tosuggest an alternative way of life for the people. He focuses very little on the doings of the princein his ideal society what matters in Utopia is the actions of the people. One might even say thatthe people are empowered, but the ideals that truly run the society, are empowered. Mores truefocus does not even lie in power, but in the seeking of ideals.The Utopian society highlights the unwritten laws of morality that adult male possess if they are raised in a society that promotes honesty and virtue. However, Machiavelli argues that men are evil and inherent selfishness, no matter how pleasant a society raises them. Peoples natural dip to lie, cheat, and skid swells up without any restrictions, destroying not only their own community but also their government. It is implied that the treatment of criminals is harsh and strict. In Utopia, More describes how this ideal society punishes its criminals and it is obvious that they are mild and gentle.Since vice is not only destroyed, and men preserved, but they are tre ated in such a modality as to make them see the necessity of being honest (Utopia, 14). Although More and Machiavellis opinions differ greatly in their view of human nature, both works are unbelievably intriguing in that each of the societies would leave an incredible mark in history. The visual given through Mores Utopia portrays society an optimists view. More believes that when given all suitable opportunities and provisions, people will lead a virtuous, unselfish life.People will work for the benefit of other people in order to create an equal and pleasant society. People only turn to corruption when approach with shortages or vanity in believing some deserve more than others. So in Mores Utopian world, the governing authority is removed and the power is distributed. However, in the Prince, Peoples natural tendency to lie, cheat, and steal swells up without any restrictions, power and authority is implied in the very essence of Machiavellis work. It is tied in with the greed and selfishness. So Machiavelli focuses on the manipulation of the people to maintain power.