Humanitarian

• having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people.
• of or pertaining to ethical or theological humanitarianism.
• pertaining to the saving of human lives or to the alleviation of suffering: Example: a humanitarian crisis.
• a person actively engaged in promoting human welfare and social reforms, as a philanthropist.
• a person who professes ethical or theological humanitarianism.

Source: The Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Copyright � 1997 by Random House Inc.

Humanitarian

One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms; a philanthropist.

Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

Humanitarian

• characterized by concern for improving the welfare of humanity.
• of or pertaining to the ethical doctrine that the improvement and welfare of humankind is one's primary obligation.

Machiavelli as Humanitarian

According to Machiavelli a prince is not there to help promote the welfare of others. A prince should only be concerned about his own welfare, even at at the expense of others.

For example, Machiavelli suggests that a prince secretly get some people hostile against him, and then crush these hostilities. This way a prince can show his greatness and power!