Final answer:
Giovanni Boccaccio's 'The Decameron' portrays a nuanced view of human nature, allowing for both good and evil, while Joseph de Maistre, in his conservative writings, believed human nature to be fundamentally evil, requiring strong governance to be held in check.
Step-by-step explanation:
The authors of The Decameron and The Manifesto of the Revolting Cardinals have divergent views on the nature of man. Giovanni Boccaccio, through The Decameron, represents a range of human behaviors and moralities amid the chaos of the Black Death. While not explicitly stating a singular view on human nature, his characters exhibit both virtuous and corrupt behaviors, suggesting a more nuanced view of human nature that contains the capacity for both good and evil.
On the other hand, Joseph de Maistre, a conservative French nobleman, espoused the view in the early 19th century that humans are fundamentally evil and depraved, as influenced by the concept of original sin. De Maistre believed that a strong monarchy, nobility, and church were necessary to curb the inherent evil in humans.
Between these perspectives, human nature is depicted as multifaceted, with Boccaccio allowing for the potential for good amid evil and de Maistre emphasizing the necessity of external control to restrain an implicitly corrupt human nature.