Kimberley Moran 150722990 BF190 Dr. Charles Wells October 11th, 2015 Machiavelli and Hobbes: A Critical Analysis of Political Power Throughout this paper I will be comparing and contrasting Nicolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes’ views and approaches to human nature, through analyzing their opinion on political power; how one should rule their state, and enlightenment. Although Machiavelli and Hobbes both wanted someone to be in political power, their approaches to this objective along with their views on morality, human nature and enlightenment were vastly different. When discussion political power, Hobbes argues that without somebody in power, we as people will return to our state of nature and go on to behave horribly to each other to ensure our own survival. “If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they …show more content…
. . endeavor to destroy, or subdue one an other (p.47))” The point I think Hobbes is trying to make here is that humans will be invested purely in their own self-interest, “that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called Warre; and such warre, as if for every an, against every man.(p.48)”. Using this logic, if it is in the persons self interest to kill another human being, or take their things, the person will do that without it being considered immoral. An idea that also relates well to Machiavelli, who believes that this is how one should go about life as