Machiavelli

During Machiavelli’s time, society was much different than it had been for previous philosophers. Instead of storing up good works, so as to enjoy paradise, as the medieval man did, the Renaissance man was interested in all things, enjoyed life, strove for worldly acclaim and wealth, and had a deep interest in classical civilizations. Machiavelli thought that classical tradition was wrong in its understanding to humans, and argued that human personality is divided between a part that is self interested and a part that wants to live kindly with others. Because the natural human nature of people wants to be divided and because people are socialized, socialization he claims, can make the part that is self-interested become dominant. This then leads people to want power. And because of this, in Machiavelli’s eyes, we cannot have a completely good society based on the fact that because the worst, most self-interested people always rise to the top therefore the rulers of a society are going to be the worst.

Knowing this will happen, Machiavelli feels that the only feasible way of preventing them from being highly oppressive is to construct a society that decreases exploitation and increases the general well being of the people. In Machiavelli’s The Prince, he shows that the really intelligent ruler or prince will find it in his own self-interest to treat the people well. He would do this because the common people are not the threat to him because they are just peasant workers, rather the nobles are the most threatening because they feel that they are just as good if not better than the prince himself. So what Machiavelli is saying here is that if the prince acts in his own self-interest and kills the nobles who are trying to seize his power, it helps the people because the nobles won’t oppress them anymore. This means that the nasty ruler that acts for his self-interest of staying in control , will be doing good for the people.

The question Machiavelli asks in The Discourses is knowing that the worst people will rise to the top, how do you prevent them from exploiting everyone else? He says that the common people can’t do it, but with the divisions among powerful people both competing for the same thing, power, they will fight each other. This will then lead to some common people gaining power down the road and is known as checks and balances and the separation of powers.