Similarities Between Machiavelli And Martin Luther

Nicollo Machiavelli and Martin Luther were both prominent figures in world history, and both left a significant impact in their own way. For Machiavelli, the focus was on government and politics, while Luther was generally more concerned with religion and the corruption from within. Both men left their mark, and they both had stark differences in their campaigns, but delving deep enough into their works shows that they also had striking similarities in what they viewed as flaws or faults in leadership.

“I conclude that since men love at their own inclination but can be made to fear at the inclination of the prince, a shrewd prince will lay his foundations on what is under his own control.”

For Nicollo Machiavelli, the general idea behind …show more content…
“Men are quicker to forget the death of a father,” Machiavelli says, “than the loss of a patrimony.” More importantly, however, is that the leader who becomes selfish and “starts living by plunder” will inevitably find more reasons to do it again. In short, it is the pursuit of financial gain that will allure and entice a person to the extent that they will no longer be able to resist their selfish desires. Although Machiavelli makes this point only to warn against the dangers of being a hated leader, the basic idea corresponds with the issues that prompted Luther to begin his campaign. Just as a leader who lives off of what he plunders, in Luther’s eyes, the papacy had fallen victim to their own selfish desires and were fixated on works, good deeds, and the most important aspect – giving. “Give, give; and if you refuse, you are the devil.” This was the essence of everything that came from the pope’s mouth, and Luther could not have disagreed more. It was faith rather than deeds that led to salvation, and “to lead the people to believe that outwards words can save or make a good man” in Luther’s opinion was “the greatest evil in the world.” This claim alone speaks volumes about the passion and conviction felt by Luther regarding the salvation of souls and his belief that they were being jeopardized by misguided doctrine. Just like a prince who lives by plunder, Luther believed the church to be stealing from their adherents and were subsequently leading their flock to slaughter for nothing more than the church’s own financial