It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.

E necessario a chi dispone una republica, ed ordina leggi in quella, presupporre tutti gli uomini rei, e che li abbiano sempre a usare la malignità dello animo loro, qualunque volta ne abbiano libera occasione.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Read Discourse on Livy at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Human nature Political theory

Author

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

Discourses on Livy

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Italian

Time

1531 1510s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Occupation

Philosopher Writer

From

Italy Europe

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolò. Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio [Discourses on the First Ten of Titus Livy]. Papal Privilege, 1531, bk. 1, ch. 3.

Current Citation

Machiavelli, Niccolo. Discourses on Livy, translated by Julia Conaway Bondanella and Peter Bondanella. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 1, ch. 3.

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A quote by Niccolo Machiavelli about human nature: “It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote about Political theory

If all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need of government.

Abraham Lincoln

Read the full text of this quote at umich.edu
More information about this quote
Topic
Government Human nature Political theory Politics

Author

Abraham Lincoln
Source
Journals of Abraham Lincoln
Medium
Personal journal
Language
English
Time
1854 1850s 19th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Fragment: On Government." 1 July 1854?

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Fragment on Government, 1854?" Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

Another quote from European Renaissance

Long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light.

John Milton

Paradise Lost

Buy Paradise Lost at Amazon Buy Paradise Lost at Amazon
Read Paradise Lost at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Redemption Salvation Hell

Author

John Milton
Source
Paradise Lost
Medium
Poem
Genre
Epic poem Religious literature
Language
English
Time
1667 1660s 17th century
Era
European Renaissance
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. London: Samuel Simmons, 1667, bk. 2, I. 432.

Current Citation

"Paradise Lost." John Milton: Major Works, edited by Stephen Orgel and Jonathan Goldberg. Oxford University Press, 2008, bk. 2, I. 432.

Another quote originally in Italian

We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.

Pope Benedict XVI

More information about this quote
Topic
Decline of religion Moral relativism
Speaker
Pope Benedict XVI
Medium
Sermon
Language
Italian
Time
2005 2000s 21st century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Cardinal Ratzinger, Joseph (later Pope Benedict XVI). "Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger." Conclave of cardinals, Mass. 18 Apr. 2005, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy.