Hobbes And Machiavelli Essay Research Paper Niccolo

Hobbes And Machiavelli Essay, Research Paper

Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes were both great political philosophers of their times. Even though they lived in different eras, these men both produced works that would be considered highly influential on the formation of political theory and philosophy. The Prince and the Leviathan can each be viewed as representing the political views of their respective eras. These influential men laid a new foundation for modern political thought. In order to pave the way for future political theorists like Rousseau and Marx, these men needed to break away from classical philosophy if not partially then completely.

Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469, only a little over a century before Hobbes. Even though these men were born relatively close in time, the general world outlook had changed tremendously. Machiavelli concentrated on how to maintain the absolute power of the monarch, and how the manipulation of the public could help the monarch maintain political power. Hobbes, however, had a different conception of what constituted the basis for sovereignty. In Hobbes’ version, the absolute monarch was a representative of the people. He had to make decisions that would protect their existence as if it were his own. The monarch was responsible for making sure all citizens had food, water, and shelter. Machiavelli thought the citizens should only be treated well to the extent that it benefited the sovereign ruler. He really didn’t see people as having any rights at all. An overview of both works shows a great deal about that particular time and era’s political structure. It also showed that by the time Hobbes began writing, the way in which monarchies were regarded was beginning to change.

Machiavelli starts out in his dedication as pointing out that his observations have made him an expert on what a prince should be. He introduces the two forms of government that existed at that time, which were republics and monarchies. He then divides monarchies into two categories: heredity monarchies which have existed for sometime, and new monarchies that have been established either through war or good fortune. The Prince deals entirely with monarchies because he addresses the topic of republics in another work. Heredity monarchies are much easier to rule than the new ones because the people are used to being ruled. They no longer have the desire to change their form of government. Yet if you acquire a new territory you need to get rid of any people who might make claims to the throne. You have to be very careful not to rule like a tyrant. You need to win your people over. He also says that it is best to live in the new territory you acquire. The people will more often than not be more loyal to you, and you can help keep some control over the new territory. The opening chapters of The Prince establish a pattern that Machiavelli follows throughout the book. He describes the principles that allow a monarch to retain power. Yet Machiavelli concerns himself mainly with the acquisition and retention of power. He sees common people as object that can be easily manipulated for the ruler’s benefit. They have no rights. Anything that didn’t keep the monarch in power or served to expand his power was of no consequence politically.

Hobbes takes a different approach to political theory. His views are almost scientific and his approach emphasizes God’s creation of logic and so how through this, man created politics. In his monarchy, the ruler was still seen as having absolute power and authority, but his authority was believed to come from the people. The people had their own rights within the political system. Yet for a society to work, the people need to surrender their rights to the absolute monarch. When they sign away their rights, they let him act in their name. So now the people can’t impose moral restraint on the king. Hobbes also broke away from the Divine Right of Kings theory. He felt that if you followed this theory, then divine rule took precedence over royal law. He wanted the monarch’s rules to be law. So there needs to be a social contract drawn by the people. The people agree to obey the government in return for protection.

Machiavelli and Hobbes knew they were making a conscious break with past thought and concrete reality, and that this was required to actualize the human good. In the future they saw a self-legislating and self-grounded concept of reason. As for Machiavelli, we see the emergence of a modern relation to temporality. The past is delegitimized. The present is just work for the future. From the beginning modern humanity has been expelled from the present. Machiavelli’s transition to a better human future required primarily a political program. Hobbes wanted his countrymen not to look to the examples of Greek and Roman republics. He felt that these ideas were a danger to the monarchy and he was right. They clearly indicate that the political atmosphere was undergoing a great deal of change.

The classical thought of the ancient philosophers involved virtues and morals. The idea of the philosopher king was influential. Machiavelli’s perfect leader had a cruel disposition and would seize power at all costs. This is quite different from Socrates’ point of view. A moral and just person was thought to be the best ruler. Machiavelli basically rejected the classical tradition of philosophy