One of the main premises of Leviathan and the Prince is morality. Where morality comes from, how it affects people under a political structure, and how human nature contributes or does not contribute to morality. Hobbes and Machiavelli differ widely on each topic. Machiavelli's view on morality, based on a literal interpretation of the satire The Prince, is a very practical and realistic approach to the nature of morality and human nature. Hobbes's views, based on Leviathan, are more idealistic in nature, while my views are somewhat in between the two. One of the main connections between the two works is the relationship between morality and the state. Both differ widely on where morality comes from and whether the origin of the state comes from morality or whether morality comes from the state. Machiavelli's view of morality and the state is as pragmatic as the rest of his work. He realizes that morality comes before the State and that without morality there can be no State. However, he tempers this by stating that while morality may be what builds the state, morality cannot always be the guiding light for a ruler. When governing a country, some situations arise in which the guiding morality of the population has no place. “But one cannot have all the good qualities, nor always act in a commendable way, because we do not live in an ideal world.” (Prince 508) For example, when coming into contact with another society with different morals, during war, political maneuvers for the good of the people or the state, etc. Another aspect of Machiavelli's writings is that siding with the population, rather than with the state, can be considered a morally "good" thing, if only because the people will be happy and the revolts will not suppress the rule..... . middle of paper ...... says that a goat must be slaughtered every other Monday to please the sun god, it doesn't make it a moral thing. The same goes for majority governments. Just because everyone says the sun revolves around the earth, doesn't necessarily mean that's the case. Morality is an objective goal, which can be understood and applied. For example Sam Harris, a scientist-philosopher, points out in his book, The Moral Landscape, that what is moral and ethical can be discovered objectively and using science, or at least common sense. Humanity may have been born in a state of Tabula Rasa or savagery as described by Hobbes, but it is easy enough to understand that killing people for the sake of it is wrong and that stealing tends to make people angry. Making people angry, especially savages, can never be a good thing. Therefore, it is a good idea not to steal or kill.