Machiavelli’s Attitude Toward Human Nature: Is It Accurate? Machiavelli is often criticised for his attitude toward human nature, being seen as overly cynical of humanity. However, is this portrayal of Machiavelli warranted, or are his viewpoints justified? By analyzing key points made in The Qualities of the Prince and comparing these arguments to real world examples, it is possible to determine whether Machiavelli’s beliefs regarding human nature are sound.
There is one portion of his essay in particular where it is easy to accuse Machiavelli of being overly misanthropic: the section concerning whether it is preferable for a leader to be cruel or merciful; Machiavelli argues that it is better to be seen as too cruel than too merciful. While this may at first seem harsh, he supports his perspective by saying that “with a very few examples of cruelty (the ruler) will be more compassionate than those who, out of excessive mercy, permit disorders to continue, …show more content…
In this incident, 38 people witnessed the murder of a young woman, Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, but no one did anything to stop it. By the time the police were called, it was too late, and Kitty was beyond saving. (Gansberg, 1964) This case seems to confirm the selfish nature of humanity set forth by Machiavelli; it wasn’t that there was something fundamentally wrong with all 38 of the people who saw Kitty killed. Rather, there appears to be a fundamental flaw in human psychology. Unless a person has something to gain from involving himself in a potentially dangerous situation, they are likely to do what is safe for himself, regardless of the consequences it may bring to someone else. Despite the fact that Kitty was supposedly a well-loved and recognized member of her community, it is clear that fear was a much greater factor in determining whether witnesses would take action. This aligns perfectly with Machiavelli’s
There is one portion of his essay in particular where it is easy to accuse Machiavelli of being overly misanthropic: the section concerning whether it is preferable for a leader to be cruel or merciful; Machiavelli argues that it is better to be seen as too cruel than too merciful. While this may at first seem harsh, he supports his perspective by saying that “with a very few examples of cruelty (the ruler) will be more compassionate than those who, out of excessive mercy, permit disorders to continue, …show more content…
In this incident, 38 people witnessed the murder of a young woman, Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, but no one did anything to stop it. By the time the police were called, it was too late, and Kitty was beyond saving. (Gansberg, 1964) This case seems to confirm the selfish nature of humanity set forth by Machiavelli; it wasn’t that there was something fundamentally wrong with all 38 of the people who saw Kitty killed. Rather, there appears to be a fundamental flaw in human psychology. Unless a person has something to gain from involving himself in a potentially dangerous situation, they are likely to do what is safe for himself, regardless of the consequences it may bring to someone else. Despite the fact that Kitty was supposedly a well-loved and recognized member of her community, it is clear that fear was a much greater factor in determining whether witnesses would take action. This aligns perfectly with Machiavelli’s