Essay Example on Comparison of Hobbes, Milton, Machiavelli on Nature of Human Beings

An Argumentative Comparison between Hobble's Leviathan, Milton's Paradise Lost and Machiavelli's Prince

Primarily, several philosophers have given their opinions revolving around the nature of human beings in their attempt to describe and expound on the state of nature. According to Hobbes, human life is principally cocooned within the bounds of poverty, solitude, the limit of duration, ruthlessness, and nastiness (Hobbes 21). Consequently, Hobbes, without the fear of contradiction, advocates for a supreme sovereign with the prime focus of the reduction of sorrow and suffering to the best possible level. Initially, there is some evidence showing Milton being in concurrence with Hobbes. For instance, Eve in the Garden of Eden falls from the grace of God and in her fall, influences Adam with whom together they fall, which is primarily a rebellion against God (Milton 32).

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The fall mainly underscores the opinion that human beings are selfish and rebellious and therefore are in critical need of a form of power or authority to govern them. In as much as Milton acknowledges the claim that humans are naturally designed with an evil side, he does not wholly condemn the nature of human beings the way Hobbes dramatically scorns the nature of human beings. Instead, an in-depth evaluation of Paradise Lost by Milton is evidentially a relatively direct response to the Leviathan by Hobbes in the attempt to understand human nature (Milton 35). This is, moreover, backed by the fact that in his argument, Milton asserts that regardless of the veracity that human beings are undeniably corruptible; nevertheless, human beings are still principally good. Therefore, about the argument claimed by Milton, the nature of human beings is one that does not necessarily need a government to be in place which is directly conflicting with the Hobbes' claim.

Moreover, Milton goes ahead to illustrate his claim that human nature is importantly good by providing a description centered on the Garden of Eden. According to Milton, before the fall of Adam and Eve, the condition was virtually a paradise that denotes freedom since they were obedient to God (Milton 42). Within the freedom of paradise; thus, the landscape was characterized by the best trees loaded with the best fruits. The scenery was moreover a reflection of the demeanors of the inhabitants of Eden before the fall, which is obedience. For instance, the trees in the landscape are fruitfully coupled with a general atmosphere that is typically pure and evil free.

Additionally, Milton accentuates the innocence and obedience of Adam and Eve based on the way they interact with each other. Their interaction lacks any aspect of guilt or shame that mainly emphasizes the freedom emanating from their obedience. The book "Prince," written by Machiavelli, is based primarily on Machiavelli's suggestions of the conducts and behaviors that make an effective leader. Contrary to the noble princes as depicted in fairy stories, Machiavelli asserts that an excellent and successful ruler of a given jurisdiction ought to be absolutely immoral whenever necessary, calculating and brutal (Machiavelli 25).

However, this is chiefly based on the fact that people are very swift in changing their nature the moment they come to the imagination that they have the knack to improve greatly. Consequently, in the book, Machiavelli justifies the must requirement for a ruler to be shrewd. This is moreover, since a leader who is striving to conduct himself or herself virtuously in all aspects eventually plunges into sorrow amid individuals who are not virtuous. Thus, to maintain power, it is an imperative prerequisite for a prince to be ready to substitute the virtue of virtuousness with brutality and shrewdness per the need.

More elaborately, Milton evidently supports resistance against political authority using the justification of the need to maintain freedom. Milton's idea is thus a comprehensive and eloquent emphasis on freedom. On the contrary, Hobbes attempts to neutralize Milton's claims by establishing peaceful and commodious living conditions. As for Machiavelli, the prime focal point of a leader is to establish a despotic regime, one where he or she faces no rivalry and receives absolute homage from his or her subjects (Machiavelli 33).

Therefore, according to the three authors, their claims and suggestions jointly and relatively incline the relationship between freedom and obedience to be two interdependent entities. In other words, freedom and obedience are relatively two inseparable elements. Thus, for freedom to be realized, then obedience must be practiced and vice versa. Using Hobbes' Leviathan for further elaboration, individuals within a society with the desire to live a life of freedom and one defined with peaceful and commodious living conditions, then they have to fully obey the set requirements and regulations by the leader (Hobbes 51).

Furthermore, in as much as Machiavelli advocates for a brutish form of leadership, for the subjects who diligently obey their set conditions, there are exempted from pugnacious or disciplinary measures and therefore enjoy some element of freedom due to their obedience. Also, in as much as Milton in the Paradise Lost is of the opinion that human beings need not be necessarily subjected to sovereign political authority, however, for the prevalence of freedom within a given community, obedience to the set norms and codes in critical.

This is mainly because freedom can only thrive where there is peace and for peace to be there, then obedience must as well be in place. More so, the lack of obedience implies a lack of freedom because individuals who disobey will have to be punished. The punishment mostly revolves around the denial of some form of freedom. Therefore, the assertion that freedom and obedience are direct correlatives is undeniable, as illustrated in the works of the three authors.

Works Cited

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan - Revised Edition. Broadview P, 2010.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. Machiavelli's The Prince: Bold-Faced Principles on Tactics, Power, and Politics. Sterling Publishing Company, 2008.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. OUP Oxford, 2005.