Comparing Machiavelli And Hobbes Political Writings And...

Both Machiavelli and Hobbes have personal roots in violent historical times which are seen reflected in their respective theories about the use of violence in politics. The legitimate use of violence is a topic addressed by both theorists in their respective works, as read in Selected Political Writings and The Leviathan. Who has the monopoly over the use of violence, what its terms of use are, and what the consequences of its use are, are distinct from the works of both Machiavelli and Hobbes. Hobbes’ believed that the world, as well as humanity, was mechanic and operated according to physical laws and chains of cause and effect. He claimed fear was the determining factor in men’s lives, which would cause them to give their liberty over to a sovereign, which would act as man, operating according to the same laws of cause and effect as the rest of the world. This sovereign alone, as the sole political authority, held the legitimate use of violence. As an exception to this, another legitimate use of violence was in a member of the commonwealth’s own self-defence, â€Å"...because no man is supposed at the making of a Commonwealth, to have abandoned the defense of his life, or limbes, where the law cannot arrive time enough to his assistance.† In this way, the Sovereign defends his own power over the commonwealth by granting man legitimacy of violence for the sake of his own safety, thus further removing fear within the commonwealth, and ensuring t heir continued allegiance to theShow MoreRelatedThe Influences of Selected Political Writings by Machiavelli and Leviathan by Hobbes1717 Words   |  7 Pagesto an ideal will soon discover he has been taught how to destroy himself, not preserve himself. -Niccolo Machiavelli Every person has a chance to leave a mark on this earth, and every person gets to decide how he or she will do that. Two men decided that they wanted to write about life and human actions that they noticed. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in an attempt to gain a political position in the new government that was being established in Italy by the Medici family. Although his book didRead MoreIn Nature Of Politics, We Have Read And Gone Over Many1743 Words   |  7 Pagesdistinct views to help form a familiar, though rapidly shifting, image of politics and therefore can easily recognize similarities between the ideologies that is provided in these texts. For example, in Dostoevsky s writing, the Grand Inquisitor’s thinking is very similar to that of Machiavelli in the manner that crushing the â€Å"free will† and gaining control over the masses is extremely vital. When going into detail about the idea of â€Å"miracle, mystery, and authority,† the Grand Inquisitor’s rationality