Machiavelli's "The Prince".

The study of Machiavelli's view of human nature is a doleful task. In reviewing The Prince, it does not seem that Machiavelli attributes to man any basically good intrinsic characteristics, such as loyalty, selflessness, or concern for others. In short, he appears to view humans as being downright wicked. When good fortune prevails, they conform and in unfavorable times, they rebel. Machiavelli counsels that a prince must always be wary of men because they are …

…goal is self-preservation, thus a prince must constantly have the populace in his favor. Machiavelli, however, proclaims that this is not a laborious task because men are fickle by nature and can easily be persuaded. Men will conform as long as they believe it is most beneficial to their personal interest. Machiavelli does not consider men to have any of the good intrinsic characteristics people in modern society would like to believe most men possess.