Classic Critiques of Society's Negative Aspects

Negative Aspects of Society

The author of this report is asked to review Augustine, Dante and Machiavelli when it comes to their views about the negative aspects of society. Indeed, they are major figures throughout history and their views are similar in many ways. However, they are also very different as well. Over the four total pages of this report, each of those three will be viewed one at a time. While some people dismiss what the people of the past have to say about society, the prior and current critics of the negative aspects of society have a right to say what they are saying.

One thing that dominated the words of Augustine was his challenging of the secular (non-religious) world with his Christian views. James O'Donnell had some words to say about Augustine and what he felt. Indeed, he notes that "ordinary men and women, left to their own devices, go on living in their fantasy world." He then adds, in relation to Augustine, that "what sets Augustine's Christians apart is a vision of the real nature of the world in which they live, or at least a glimpse of it (O'Donnell, 2015). O'Donnell notes that the time of Augustine was that of the Roman Empire. To compare what the people of that day thought to what others around him may have thought, one can point to what happened in 410 AD. Indeed, there was a sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in that year. Many people of that day saw this as a reflection of Augustine's poor leadership. They actively attacked Christianity for "failing to take care of Rome." However, Augustine's reply to that was that it was a lasting message that Rome itself was weak because of its actions and inactions. In other words, Augustine blamed the morality and actions of the people for the weakness of Rome and also blamed this for why Rome was attacked and sacked. Augustine continued this theme when he wrote City of God. As noted by O'Donnell, the opening arguments of that book "demonstrate by negative argument, with polemical verve, that in the order of knowledge, God -- the Christian God -- prevails alone" (O'Donnell, 2015). Further, the books "confronted the surviving ancient philosophical tradition in debate." For example, he attacked the presence of schools that were different and conflicting to Christianity. This included the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Cynics and the Academics. He points to the Tower of Babel as described in Genesis 11 and speaks of how that was the start of a loss of shared consciousness and experience and that any different attempt to recreate what that would be like but that is not part of God is part of the problem…not the solution (O'Donnell, 2015).

Whereas Augustine was very pro-God and Christian, Machiavelli was the precise opposite. Further, his overall viewpoints were vastly different from the humanists of his time. Machiavelli believed that the ruling Prince "should be the sole authority determining every aspect of the state and put in effect a policy that would best serve his interests." Some would say right off the bat that this is a secular attitude. This would be accurate when speaking of Machiavelli because he promoted a "secular society and felt morality was not necessary but in fact stood in the way of an effective governed principality." In other words, Machiavelli was the antithesis of Augustine in many ways. When Augustine would see negative things in society, he would blame the people with an eye to God. Augustine would not dominate and domineer over people just because he could. Machiavelli was a whole different story. He believed in no God except himself, more or less. However, there limits to what Machiavelli would do about this because he did not rule with and destruction. Some may think him harsh and brutal but he did not take things too far. However, Machiavelli had a very dim view of humanity. For example, when people talk about the question of whether it is better to be feared or loved, Machiavelli would answer the former…not the latter. He held the view that men are "ungrateful, fickle, liars and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit, while you treat them well they are yours." Machiavelli also stated that one must be ready and willing to lie to the people to get one's way. If the actions that Machiavelli lied about would bring him honor and praise, then it was worth the trouble regardless of the deception that occurred to get to that point. In other words, Machiavelli viewed negative aspects of society and behavior depending on whether it benefited him or not. If it did not benefit him, then he was generally disdainful. If it did benefit him, he was more than willing to let it slide and exist (Novel Guide, 2015).