“Rousseau offers an unrealistic and damaging account of human nature” critically respond to this statement with reference to either Hobbes or Machiavelli.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a political philosopher who has made a great impact on the area of politics. Even though his perspectives are utopian and are different to both Hobbes and Machiavelli. His contribution has made a significant impact in the way that politics is conceived. Therefore, it is the contention of this essay by using Machiavelli’s ideology to expose that Rousseau's ideas about human nature are utopian and in a sense damaging for the society.
For Rousseau human nature is simple, innocent and pious and he based this notion on the premise of the “state of nature” where humans were free and equal, and just seek to satisfy their basic needs (Rousseau 1974, p.80). What is more, Rousseau claims that society, as a whole should be the one, which guided by its general will, set up the laws (Rousseau 1974, p.96). Nevertheless, Rousseau's principles are not longer workable within the present society due to the fact that we do not longer live in a state of nature; rather in a corrupted and unequal system. For this reason is determinant to consider the premise that Human beings are bad, ungrateful, and fickle or as the Italian politician Machiavelli asserted, “men are wicked and they never do good unless necessity drives them to do it “ (Viroli 1998, p.47). Similarly, since it is technically impossible to set up rules for a society, which is unequal, the best position that we can opt is to submit and rely on a ruler (prince) who ensures the common good (Viroli …show more content…
Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Rousseau, J 1974, Discourse on the Origins Inequality, In The Social Contract and Discourses, Trans. G. D. H. Cole, Everyman’s Library, Melbourne.
Viroli, M 1998, Machiavelli, Oxford University Press,
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a political philosopher who has made a great impact on the area of politics. Even though his perspectives are utopian and are different to both Hobbes and Machiavelli. His contribution has made a significant impact in the way that politics is conceived. Therefore, it is the contention of this essay by using Machiavelli’s ideology to expose that Rousseau's ideas about human nature are utopian and in a sense damaging for the society.
For Rousseau human nature is simple, innocent and pious and he based this notion on the premise of the “state of nature” where humans were free and equal, and just seek to satisfy their basic needs (Rousseau 1974, p.80). What is more, Rousseau claims that society, as a whole should be the one, which guided by its general will, set up the laws (Rousseau 1974, p.96). Nevertheless, Rousseau's principles are not longer workable within the present society due to the fact that we do not longer live in a state of nature; rather in a corrupted and unequal system. For this reason is determinant to consider the premise that Human beings are bad, ungrateful, and fickle or as the Italian politician Machiavelli asserted, “men are wicked and they never do good unless necessity drives them to do it “ (Viroli 1998, p.47). Similarly, since it is technically impossible to set up rules for a society, which is unequal, the best position that we can opt is to submit and rely on a ruler (prince) who ensures the common good (Viroli …show more content…
Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Rousseau, J 1974, Discourse on the Origins Inequality, In The Social Contract and Discourses, Trans. G. D. H. Cole, Everyman’s Library, Melbourne.
Viroli, M 1998, Machiavelli, Oxford University Press,