The concept of machiavelli on human nature

Today we will read the concept of machiavelli on human nature.

Machiavelli on Human nature: According to Machiavelli, human nature is
not good. But it is bad. According to him, man is “ungrateful109, fickle110,
deceitful111, cowardly112 and avaricious”.113 They are originally irrational. They
do not think based on reason. They work according to their emotions. They are
emotional beings. They are not rational beings. There is only one method to
control them. It is through emotions. They can be controlled only through Fear.
Fear is the dominating element in man. Therefore, a King or a Prince must make
use of the Fear to control people. The people must fear a Prince. The Prince must
represent fear.
Machiavelli’s concept of Human nature is given in his famous work ‘The
Prince’. It can be summarised as follows:

1. Human nature is essentially not good. Man, by nature is selfish. He is self
centered. He is greedy. By nature, men love property and material objects
than his own people and other human beings. Machiavelli said that people
can forget their ancestors but not their property.

2. Man always remains unsatisfied because he is always greedy.
3. Human beings are always aggressive. He is interested in acquire more and
more. His greed never ends.

4. By nature, human beings work against collective interests because he is
selfish.

5. By nature human beings are ambitious. They very fast get tired of the old
and seeks things new and things which caters to his fancy.

6. Human beings generally want liberty.

So friend this is all about the concept of machiavelli on human nature.