Utopia Vs Machiavelli's The Prince

Sir Thomas More’s Utopia presents a more justified stance on the role of the government and the authority of a ruler compared to Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, because More’s policy emphasizes that the government is for the people, and people are a product of their ruler. A message conveyed in The Prince states that it is better to be feared than loved. Machiavelli’s negative perception on human nature leads to ineffective policies because he inaccurately views men as “ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, and covetous” who “have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which...is broken at every opportunity for their advantage” (Machiavelli). He uses a metaphor,
describing love as a “link of obligation” formed between a ruler and his people.
He sees love as a weak bond and believes a clement ruler can be easily taken advantage of, which, ultimately, is harmful to a kingdom. Machiavelli believes that a strong ruler should develop strict rules and instill fear within his people, to avoid uprising and to maintain his influence. The differences between Machiavelli and More’s viewpoints is that Machiavelli values maintaining power and preventing rebellions as the priority, whereas More deems addressing the needs of the people a necessity. Contrary to Machiavelli, More believes that “A king who can only rule his people by taking from them the pleasures of life shows that he does not know how to govern free men. He ought to shake off either his sloth or his pride, for the people’s hatred and scorn arise from these faults in him” (More). More alludes to the seven deadly sins, including sloth and pride. By addressing this allusion, More indicates that it is a “deadly sin” for a ruler to put himself before addressing the needs of the people. More believes that an effective ruler serves its people and does not deprive the people of life’s pleasures. His policies go a step further than Machiavelli’s in ensuring the general public is happy and satisfied. Utopia presents a more valid argument because a government should be for the benefit of the people, not the benefit of the ruler.