Machiavelli & Luther

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1965) and The Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther (1999) are quite distinct in their goals for human nature and development, though both are in agreement with respect to human's tendency to indulge in self-gain. In The Freedom of the Christian, Luther (1999) makes the case for human beings to develop their inward or spiritual nature in order to be truly free, "it is evident that by no outward work or labour can the inward man be at all justified, made free, and saved" (2). Within the individual there is a conflicting duality of the flesh against the spirit or the outward individual against the inward individual. Machiavelli, in contrast, does not believe in speculation about the spirit or metaphysical realm. He only knows what he has experienced in the earthly realm. His perspective on individuals is that they will tend toward satisfying their own self-gain, what Luther might view as the outward portion of the dualistic individual. Machiavelli does not posit a superior realm or inward plateau that an individual can attain through the good works of faith preached by Luther. Instead, Machiavelli feels that any leader who ignores the reality of this realm in favor of trying to reach such a plateau will end disastrously. As he states, "�many have imagined republics and principalities such as have never been known to exist in reality. For the manner in which men live is so different from the way in w

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e who wish to stay in power must deal corruptly with those who are corrupt or kindly with those who are kind. In an appeal to situational ethics, he maintains, "A prince therefore who desires to maintain himself must learn to be not always good, but to be so or not so as necessity may require" (Machiavelli 1965, 76). Luther, in contrast, feels that such situational ethics have served to erode human being's capacity for knowing what equates to true Christian freedom and salvation. Power and tyranny as Machiavelli might advocate when dealing with tyrants who wish to acquire power are responsible for the erosion of true Christian freedom and salvation. As Luther (1999) expresses, "Through this perversion of things it has happened that the knowledge of Christian grace, of faith, of liberty, and altogether of Christ, has utterly perished" (3). Machiavelli would argue that such a world where true grace, faith and liberty are the norm has never existed and to lead in such a manner would spell ruin due to those who will never adopt such good works of faith as recommended by Luther. Even when things are peaceful, Machiavelli (1965) cautions leaders that such a time is ripe for building up power and the material means of conquering any

Category: Literature - M