46).

These ideas are actually in direct contradiction to the prevailing religious philosophies of the time. Machiavelli does not seed men judged by God, or even by other men -- but instead by whether the deed one sought was accomplished or not; and if that deed has eventual ramifications that may be good. This Prince may come to power through evil means from himself, from others, or through historical forces. However, Princes who come to power based on criminal acts will not last in their position, nor will they be perceived as innately a leader. Cruelty, which by its very nature is evil, may be applied once at the outset and then only when the greater good of the subjects demands it.

In seizing a state, the Prince ought to examine closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict (evil), and to do them all…

Sources:

Machiavelli, N. The Prince. Translated by W.K. Marriott. Rockville, MD: Arc Manor, 2007.

Muchembled, R. A history of the Devil. New York: Wiley/Blackwell, 2003.

hen he first came in contact with God in Midian where he was tending sheep for his father-in-law Jethro, he saw a burning bush and prostrated before God. After the mission was explained, "Moses said to God, "ho am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11). He questioned God continuously during this exchange and showed himself to be a coward even when he was repeatedly told that God would be with him.

Another time, when the Israelites were marching across the desert, the people wanted Moses to find them a place to drink and water their animals. Moses applied to God, but Moses did not believe what God said. The account in Numbers 20:11,12 says "11 and Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank,…

Works Cited

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Luigi Ricci. London: Grant Richards, 1903. Print.

Machiavelli

In the sixteenth century, Florence was in a period of turmoil and political instability due to the clashes between different ruling elite. It was in this social and political climate that Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince. The book is a practical guide to world leadership. The author focuses on the qualities of successful and unsuccessful leaders, the nature of their actions and decisions, and how they can and should react to various situations when they arise in the political arena. Machiavelli uses historical examples to substantiate his claims, when possible. One of the defining features of Machiavelli's The Prince is that the author is primarily concerned with maintaining political order and stability, rather than on making ethical choices. This stems directly from the historical context of political instability in which Machiavelli wrote. Similarly, Machiavelli's primary concerns are for how leaders can remain strong and powerful in their domains and…

References

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Online version:  http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm

Machiavelli

Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli emerged as one of the first true secularist philosophers to come out of the Christian est. In succeeding years his name would become infamous; his views, associated with Satan and immorality. However, Machiavelli's most significant contributions to estern thought never overtly favored scheming or devious methods to more morally acceptable ones. But rather, he generally acknowledged that any actions taken in the acquisition and sustention of power were tolerable and necessary for a lasting society. Essentially, Machiavelli threw out all previous notions regarding morality and ethical behavior. Instead, he adopted the premise that all people were prone to corruption and ambition; accordingly, they would employ any means at their disposal -- given the opportunity -- to achieve their goals. It was Machiavelli's insights into the workings of government -- presented in both The Prince and The Discourses -- that marked his true contribution to…

Works Cited

Bondanella, Peter and Mark Musa. The Portable Machiavelli. New York: Penguin Books, 1979.

Ledeen, Michael A. Machiavelli on Modern Leadership. New Yrok: St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Machiavelli and the Role of Religion

Machiavelli, in his works, has used his political outlook and views about the power given to the Church and Christianity to present both his religious and political views to the readers keeping them in a constant thought process of what he really believes in and why.

Throughout the paper we will discuss Machiavelli's political expressions and views in the light of his three writings; "The Prince," "The Discourses" and "The Florentine Histories." In all the three writings, the author has used his characters and plots to describe a setting that would eventually lead him to express his views about the political mishaps and mistakes that led to inflated problems.

It is extremely vital to present, from the commencement of the essay, what Machiavelli's politics is and how he attains his viewpoint so as to comprehend and appreciate his point-of-view on religion in politics. Machiavelli…

Bibliography

The textual citations have been taken from:

John William Allen. (1951). A History of Political Thought in the Sixteenth Century. Reprint. New York: Barnes & Noble. And Hans Baron. (1954). The Concept of Nationalism in Machiavelli's Prince. Studies in the Renaissance 1:38-48.

This belief came in response to the realities of the time that saw corruption and lust for riches as the main interests in the political life. oth Gandhi and Machiavelli saw self restrain as an important quality, even though the reasons deferred.

In today's political life, there is more and more evidence of the applicability of the concepts advocated by Machiavelli centuries ago. The constant use of the notion Machiavellian is relevant in this sense. It comes to define the belief that the final outcome is the most important one in the overall process of history. In the end, according to Richelieu, who was inspired by the ideas of the Italian politician, history would eventually judge a leader not for the means he used, but for the aims, he had set beforehand. (Kissinger, 1995) the so-called raison d'etat governed international relations for centuries after the Westphalia Peace in 1648 and…

Bibliography

Calvocoressi, Peter. World politics since 1945. New York: Longman, 1987.

Chew, Robin. Mahatma Gandhi: Indian Spiritual/Political, Leader, and Humanitarian. 1995. 25 April 2007. http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95oct/mkgandhi.html#resources

Gauss, Christian. Introduction. "The Prince," Niccolo Machiavelli. 1952. Oxford University Press, Chicago.

Huntington, Samuel. The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Mainly, the ideals of modern science and philosophy have allowed the religious humanists to meet the stresses of modern life and they would state that their philosophy is for the here and now. Religious Humanism offers a foundation in philosophy which includes moral values, ideals, coping methods and ways to deal with adversity such as flood, hurricane or famine. How would a person like Machiavelli feel about the modern issues like teenage sex and how would his ideas be compared to the Catholics' view that protected sex and abortion should not be options for those sexually active teens.

I believe that Machiavelli would side with religious humanists and therefore be more adaptive in use of science and principles of human rights. This notion is based on the fact that the Prince is a very philosophical study of political goals, objectives and concepts and it took a very scientific mind to…

Works Cited

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Bantam Books. (1984).

The Essence of Humanism. Ed. Flo Wineriter. November 1998. Humanists of Utah. Retrieved on 5 June, 2005 from  http://www.humanistsofutah.org/1993/gennov93.html .

Machiavelli

As they approach Guhasena's home, they find a nun who would assist them in their venture. They lay their plan before the nun who agrees to help them. Again, this is a prime example of the rashness of youth. These four young men were traveling many miles on the idea that they would be able to take advantage of a young maiden's loneliness and solitude. They did not plan on Devasmita's ability to see through their machinations, and to plan retaliation accordingly. Fortune does not smile on these young men at all. They not only do not succeed at absconding with Devasmita's virtue, they also are marked for life as Devasmita's slaves.

It is a simple matter to state that Machiavelli's premise that the young act in a much more rash manner than do the old. Both characters show that such rashness is the manner of youth. The young men…

Leaders today must regularly make decisions that may, at times, greatly impact the lives of thousands of people. In order to be successful, they have to be able to analyze as many of the choices, plans and strategies possible and determine which of these will be best for the most individuals. Sometimes such decisions have to be made very quickly.

Executive power, Mansfield notes, is one of the most essential principles that comes from Machiavellian rationale to the separation of power in today's government. Every where in both the government and business institutions, it is possible to see examples of one-person rule, and it is readily accepted. This is an important constitutional principle retained from the past. The executive in charge can be strong or weak, according to the challenges that face him or her. However, the most successful executive is the individual who can govern under the acceptance of…

References

Mansfield, Harvey. Machiavelli's Virtue. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Masters, Roger. Maciavelli's Virtue. Ethics (1997). 107.4: 757-759

Muller, Jerry. The Princes Pay Tribute. Public Interest. (2001) [electronic version]

 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0377/is_2001_Summer/ai_76812259

Machiavelli and Thucydides share remarkable similarities in their thoughts about human nature and the role of the state, but differ somewhat in their ideas about leadership. Machiavelli and Thucydides share a similar view of human nature as basically selfish, and both note that rule is most often disassociated from considerations of morality. Machiavelli argues that a ruler must ultimately be concerned with his own self-interest, while Thucydides noted that self-interest often came at the expense of the state.

Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy to an influential but poor old Florentine family. He became involved in politics as early as 1498, when he was appointed as head of the Second Chancery, a government agency overseeing diplomacy and war. He traveled to France, Germany, and Rome, and played an important role in conquering Pisa in 1509, in addition to acting as an important advisor.

After 14 years of service,…

Works Cited

Hooker, Richard. Thucydides. Washington State University. Adapted from: Thucydides, translated by Benjamin Jowett, first edition (London: Oxford University Press, 1881), pages 125-135, 166-177. 26 November 2002.  http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/THUCY.htm 

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translation from the Italian by Hill Thompson. Palm Springs, Calif.: ETC Publications, 1988.

The Literature Network. Niccolo Machiavelli. 27 November 2002.  http://www.online-literature.com/machiavelli/ 

Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War. Translated by Richard Crawley. 27 November 2002. Reproduced online at  http://classics.mit.edu/Thucydides/pelopwar.html

Introduction
The hierarchy of politics in ancient times was clearly defined. Kings rules many kingdoms thus they were heads of the various kingdoms. Their sons inherited the thrones since the system was patriarchal. The women were to be princesses, but the sons took the throne and continued their duties as kings and princes. Machiavelli used his scholarly tricks to bring out the philosophy of the renaissance in that century. It is important to note that scholars and kings occupied the top echelons of the social class, and were charged mainly with major decision making responsibilities. This is as a result of the revelation and adoption of various classical works. The renaissance included the adoption of works from the Greek philosophers’ school of thought, philosophical theories on humanity and commercial revolution towards adoption of modern states. Machiavelli was an interesting character since he ensured that his theories were sold in various…

References
Bush, Randall. “The Prince against Prudence: On Textuality, Reading, and Politics in Rhetorical Theory.” Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 48, no. 3, 2015, pp. 241–265. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/philrhet.48.3.0241.
Jackson, Michael, and Damian Grace. “Machiavelli\\\\'s Shadows in Management, Social Psychology and Primatology.” Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory, vol. 62, no. 142, 2015, pp. 67–84., www.jstor.org/stable/24719952.
Tillyris, Demetris. “\\\\'Learning How Not to Be Good\\\\': Machiavelli and the Standard Dirty Hands Thesis.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, vol. 18, no. 1, 2015, pp. 61–74. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24478679.

Cleandro has learned everything from Nicomaco, but is not grateful enough to share the prize with Nicomaco. (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13). According to Phillipakis, "…they are competitors for a prize that cannot be shared. Fortune is a kingdom 'safeliest when with one man manned.'" (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13)

Phillipakis concludes that Machiavelli "must remain the philosopher who generates thoughts but not deeds," simply "…because he cannot be anything more." (Phillipakis, 2011, p. 13).

Critique

Phillipakis appears to have something against philosophers and bookish men in general. Men who are thinkers, rather than doers. Or perhaps only against bookish men who presume to be manly men, such as Machiavelli.

Phillipakis' rage seems to stem from certain passages in Machiavelli's The Prince that could be perceived as misogynistic. She appears to dwell particularly on Machiavelli's comments about raping "Fortuna," the female characterization of fortune. Machiavelli is, of course, speaking metaphorically here. Though…

References

Phillipakis, K. (2011). "On Machiavelli's Literary Message." APSA 2011 Annual Meeting Paper.

According to Machiavelli, there are several different characteristics that must be exhibited to include: balanced generosity, compassion, honesty and the ability to listen to only select advisors. When looking at the first characteristic, balanced generosity, this means that a leader can not be too generous with the citizens. Otherwise, they will expect this generosity at all times, the moment that the leadership must increase taxes and have other financial burdens on the citizens, is when they will turn on them. This can affect the stability of the state, where the revenues generated from taxes are used to provide various services to the citizens. During times of crisis, the government may not have the funds necessary to fight wars or other situations that can come out of nowhere. While doing the opposite, being to frugal, will result in resentment from the citizens. This is because of the lack of services that…

Bibliography

Machiavelli, N. The Prince. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Print.

" ("Selections from the Prince" 281) What this shows, is that those leaders who engage the citizens in conquered territories by allowing them to maintain their laws will perceive the Prince to be weak. In order to rule effectively, the Prince must show that he is a strong leader. This is significant, because it highlights how the ideal leader is: someone who will show what they mean through actions. Once this take place, the conquered citizens of the Prince will have respect for his rule and policies.

This has caused debate as to if the ideas of Machiavelli are more humanist or from a realist perspective. This is challenging, because he shows the importance of having a strong central government that will protect the general public. However, the tactics that he advocates using to achieve this objective are: questionable at best.

As a result, Machiavelli is not a humanist, where…

Bibliography

Sayre, Henry. "Cultural Parallels." The Humanities: Culture, Continuity & Change. Book 3: The Renaissance and the Age of Encounter. Prentice-Hall, 2008: 600-601. Print.

"Selections from the Prince."

Machiavelli, Thomas More, Thomas Hobbes

Under what circumstances is it just (or right, or ethical) to go to war? Why? Compare and contrast how Machiavelli, Thomas More, and Thomas Hobbes might answer this question.

Because of the rather negative perception of Niccolo Machiavelli's theories of political survival and expediency at all costs, one might be tempted to assume that the Italian political theorist believed that the ideal leader, The Prince, should go to war at any opportunity to demonstrate his strength as a leader. However, Machiavelli was not nearly so bloodthirsty or foolish. In fact, Machiavelli believed in self-promotion and the promotion of the existence of the Prince's political future and the state at all costs. War occasionally might serve as a means to this end but only should be undertaken in extreme circumstances. For instance, in discussing a specific political situation that plagued Italy at the time, he noted,…

If virtue only bolsters the spiritual merit of the leader or assuages his conscience, then the ruler is foolish.

The new prince is therefore a self-confident leader who effectively wields power through swift decisiveness. By alluding to the great rulers of ancient Greece and Rome such as Alexander, Machiavelli notes how the new prince can seek to expand his territorial realms and take over existing nations. To do this the new prince relies heavily on strategic warfare rather than sheer brute force. The new prince's military strategy is as much intellectual as it is physical. The new prince gets to know any culture he tries to overtake, and plans his military strategies accordingly and should even be willing to live in foreign lands. For example, if the new prince were to take over a democracy, he would have to completely devastate and destroy the country; otherwise, the populace so used…

However, it was after his imprisonment that Machiavelli showed 'Machiavellian' traits, as he tried to pursue his political philosophy by gaining his once-deferred power by the Medici family. Machiavelli shows his Machiavellianism by devising ways to win their favor once again, and these ways include creating discourses that reflect the family's method of governing Italy. By reflecting through the image of the Medici family the image of resolute and wise leaders, he shows that he has the ability to win others' favor through "clever trickery" -- that is, by making the Medici family believe that he is an avid follower of their administration, and eventually, win their trust. However, Machiavelli had failed to receive the desired results of his philosophies, but the strategies he adopted to achieve the reforms he wanted to introduce in Italy was nevertheless successful, at least through his truly Machiavellian writings and discourses.

Lao-Tzu's concept of Tao Te Ching

The Lao-Tzu's concept of Tao Te Ching is fundamental to leadership and management in various societies of the world. Lao Tzu exemplifies various responses and characteristics that should be dominant in every leader. As compared to the modern approaches used by Machiavelli, Lao Tzu has increasingly ushered a number of steps that should be used by a leader in relaying justice and equitable living. According to Lao-Tzu's concept of Tao Te Ching, a ruler is supposed to be wise and with the intention of manipulating the public. Lao Tzu proposes that any ruler should exemplify cases of unselfishness, sage, and corporate thinking skills where he or she thinks of his people as a priority. According to Lao-Tzu's concept of Tao Te Ching, leaders should have the ability to appear invisible and quietly in order to lead people through minute interventions that have no conflict…

References

Demi. (2007). The Legend of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching, New York, Margaret K.

Laozi, & Lee, S.C.O. (2000). Lao Tzu: Tao te ching: translation based on his taoism. San Jose: ToExcel.

Machiavelli, N. (1988). Machiavelli: The Prince, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Wren, J.T. (1995). The leader's companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: Free Press.

In exchange, the words which drive Machiavelli's work are very much a reflection of the groundswell of discontent with the ideological hegemony of the church and the feudal system. Thus, though we regard Machiavelli's contempt for terms of 'good' and 'not good' as inherently permissive to severe violation of the rights and experiences of others, we must also understand it as something of a reaction to such forces as well. The period to which Machiavelli helped reveal the threshold may be "summed up in that broadening of physical and mental horizons known as the Renaissance. The 'humanist' movement in northern Europe enlarged the options for thinking people beyond the ways of thinking, teaching, and explaining the world which had evolved as common property in the Middle Ages." (Cameron, 5) in Machiavelli's work, this accomplishment would be made through a deconstruction of a moral hierarchy designed to retain existing class and…

Works Cited

Cameron, E. (1991). The European Reformation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991

Kant, I. 1785. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Jonathan Bennett.

Garnett, G. & Brutus, S.J. (1994). Vindiciae, Contra Tyrannos. Oxford University Press.

Machiavelli, N. And Bondanella, P. (eds). (1992).

Frank Lautenberg's career may be described as "mostly Machiavellian" because of the way in which he used negative campaign ads early on in order to secure his hold on power, before shifting towards more outwardly benevolent means of maintaining that power. Taking Machiavelli's advice to commit all the cruelties one needs all at once, instead of piecemeal over a longer period, Lautenberg ran a vicious campaign against Pete Dawkins that relied almost exclusively on the former's ability to paint Dawkins as an opportunist and a charlatan, effectively using Dawkins' own robust resume against him. Having solidified his hold on power by winning his first reelection, Lautenberg proceeded to curry the favor of the two groups whose favor Machiavelli sees as necessary for ruling any participatory form of government, namely, the general populace and the corporate elite whose money ends up funding the majority of political activity in America. In this…

Works Cited

Anonymous. "Frank R. Lautenberg." Times Topics. The New York Times, 21 Sep 2011. Web.

5 Oct 2011. .

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. London: Grant Richards, 1903.

Lautenberg, Frank. United States. Firearms, Explosive and Terrorists: A Looming Threat A

Machiavelli's approach to government could be found morally and ethically acceptable in utilitarianism because, despite the individual suffering that might occur at the hands of a Machiavellian prince, if this makes the nation as a whole stronger, safer, and more prosperous then the overall good of the prince's actions outweighs the overall (or individual) bad.

Autonomy ethics could condemn Machiavelli's proposed system of ruling because it specifically does not allow individuals to retain any real freedom of choice in society, but rather specifically and explicitly makes the prince the wielder of supreme power, able to cut off choices for any other citizen or individual as he sees fit; the prince is the only one with any autonomy.

3)

Ludwig and Longnecker assert that success can lead to complacency, amongst other things, and from the standpoint of virtue ethics this erodes the morality of these leaders as they become less tied…

In Chapter 25 of the Prince, Machiavelli addresses the topic of fortune and its effect on rulers and their states. Machiavelli makes two main statements about fortune. First, the author claims that the good leader transcends fortune's vicissitudes. Free will, notes Machiavelli, trumps luck. Second, Machiavelli urges rulers to control and command fortune.

Fortune is female in the Prince for two reasons. One, females are associated with nature, and Machiavelli uses a metaphor from the natural world to describe fortune as a raging river: "which when in flood overflows the plains, sweeping away trees and buildings, bearing away the soil from place to place; everything flies before it, all yield to its violence, without being able in any way to withstand it," (Chapter 25). Two, fortune is female because men can control it using brute force. Females and fortune are depicted as wild, natural, and untamed. ulers are by default…

References

Machiavelli, Nicolo. The Prince. 1515. Translated by W.K. Marriott. 1908. Retrieved Jan 31, 2009 at  http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm

Parableman. 11 Aug etrieved from: http://parablemania.ektopos.com/archives/2008/08/rightreason2.html]

Machiavelli notes how the smart and successful ruler never allows the public to know his true intentions. This brings to the light of day the knowledge that what one sees is not what one always gets and that the most pleasing ruler might in reality be the most evil and corrupt ruler but who is smart enough and strategic enough to pull a sleight of hand and deceive those over whom he rules. Suppose for instance that Lucifer is already residing in a major world city. Then consider what city he might choose. According to Machiavelli, the city would be one that demonstrated "great enterprises" and from the view of Machiavelli's theory the city would exude the magnificence of its ruler. Two cities come to mind in the contemporary age and those being the cities of New York City and the city of Dubai…

References

Figgis, JN (2010) the Political Aspects of St. Augustine's City of God. Ido-European Publishing. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=SB0WMroBE18C&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Hurd, Lindsey (nd) St. Augustine's 'The City of God'. Retrieved from: http://www.fortifyingthefamily.com/cityofgod.htm

Machiavelli, N. (1908) the Prince. Transl. W.K. Marriott Written c. 1505, published 1515. Rendered into HTML by Jon Roland of the Constitution Society. Retrieved from:  http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm 

Machiavelli, N. (nd) the Prince. How a Prince Should Conduct Himself as to Gain Renown. Chapter XXI. Retrieved from:  http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince21.htm

Mahiavelli's Understanding of the Populae in the Prine and the Disourses

The fous of this study is Mahiavelli's Understanding of the Populae in the Prine and the Disourses. This study will answer the question of what makes the populae of his ontemporary era different from that of other plaes and times. Seondly this work will ompare the populae of Mahiavelli's ontemporary era with past soieties and republis.

Mahiavelli's Understanding of the Populae in the Prine and The Disourses

Mahiavelli stated in 'The Prine' in Chapter Three that when dealing with the publi or the populae that it is better to either aress or to rush them beause if only minor damage is done to them they will seek out revenge however, aording to Mahiavelli "if you ripple them there is nothing they an do." (p.9-10) It was the belief of Mahiavelli that are two diretions whih a Prine may take…

cited include that of Hieronymus, the grandson of Hiero and the Syracusan was murdered in Syracuse and his army received the news and upon hearing what had happened were incited to seek out those who had killed Hieronymus. However, the army, upon gaining the knowledge that the death of Hieronymus was in actuality the cry of Syracuse for liberty, the army set about considering the best way to organize self-government in Syracuse. The answer to how the populace of different places and times differed from that of Machiavelli's contemporary populace is simply that there is no real difference because when the population is ruled by tyranny, that population will seek to gain their freedom and liberty.

Republicans recently overtook Democrats in fundraising, for instance, yet they will continue to play the underdog on most issues because the "good" qualities of security and being disadvantaged (which is generally viewed favorably in the country) are mutually exclusive, and because the appearance of being the underdog helps their cause regardless of its truth.

This also reflects a singularity of purpose and a determination that one's own conclusions, and not those derived from the advice of others, should be the guiding principles of leadership.

Political parties and leaders still tend to use this singularity while attempting to appear as populist leaders; the former allows for strength and true achievement, while the latter allows for the support of the people. Both are necessary, but they cannot be held at the same time. Machiavelli understood this, but this doesn't make him evil.

Conclusion

The Prince cannot be good or bad on its…

Furthermore, that the intent of all princes should be to use all means necessary to maintain their powerbase.

The works of Thomas Hobbes were revolutionary during his time period. He used his understanding of human nature and extrapolated the need for absolutism within government. The Leviathan was revolutionary in that it expounded Hobbesian concept of a material universe. His essential premise is that everything in the universe consists only of matter in motion. Hobbes believes that all things have a material existence even God, and this allows him to derive a natural philosophy that fits within a framework for modern political thought. Hobbes main contribution is that he postulates a framework for human understanding, that we are in effect beasts in nature, until we have a framework of government. This understanding differs substantially from early philosophers who had a generally positive light of inherent human nature. Hobbes instead, believes that…

Prince by Machiavelli [...] what Machiavelli believes are the qualities of the best rulers and of the best states. It will also look at the questions: Why does he support these qualities? Why do they need to have such qualities? Do you think he's right? If so, pick a good ruler and show that he (or she) has these qualities. If you don't agree, choose a counterexample and do the same. Machiavelli's work "The Prince" illustrates how power and those who wield it have not changed throughout the centuries. Power has always corrupted, and those who wield it tend to be those most easily corruptible. This is easily evident in the modern conflict between the United States and Iraq. Each state believes the other is corrupt and led by a corrupted and corruptible leader, capable of using deadly force against its enemies. These problems seem to have plagued nation-states for…

References

Griffin, Gerald R. Machiavelli on Management: Playing and Winning the Corporate Power Game. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by Peter Bondanella, ed. Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998.

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, ed. Peter Bondanella, trans. Peter Bondanella (Oxford: Oxford University, 1998), 8.

Ibid, i.

Plato and Machiavelli, and how their ideas on leadership compare and contrast with each other. To do this, their respective works the epublic and the Prince will be used.

In addition to the works by the two main authors considered, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy will provide important insight on Machiavelli and his work. Indeed, the piece authored by Nederman (2009) contains a section that specifically considers The Prince and Machiavelli's concept of leadership. In addition, Farmer's work also contains several good chapters on leadership, ethics, and how Machiavelli's concept of these is to be understood. For Plato's work, Goethals and Sorenson (2005) provided some good insight into his ideas of leadership and what these mean for ethical leadership today.

These works provide a valuable addition to the primary works by the authors themselves, as well as how the two might be compared with each other.

Application to Ethical Leadership…

References

Farmer, D.J. (2005). To Kill the King: Post-Traditional Governance and Bureaucracy. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

Goethals, G.R., Sorenson, G.L.J. (2006). The Quest for a General Theory of Leadership. Cheltenham: Edward Edgar Publishing Ltd.

Machiavelli, N. The Prince

Nederman, C. (2009, Sep. 8). Niccolo Machiavelli. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from:  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/machiavelli/

Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli

The Toa-te Ching is a text which was written many centuries ago. The work is attributed to Loa-tzu and functions as a treatise on the Tao religion. The primary purpose of the writing is as a religious tome designed to instruct and also to inform about the basic tenets of the religion. However, its secondary function is to impart knowledge to potential leaders on what is the best way to deal with the population under their influence. Loa-tzu wrote a treatise to all future rulers of the community to practice in order to be more successful in their leadership and to ensure that they keep control of the population even if they are challenged by other such potential leaders. Similarly, in Machiavelli's The Prince, an unnamed narrator dictates an instruction manual to up and coming members of the monarchy about the correct ways for a royal to…

Works Cited:

Lao-tzu. "Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching." Print.

Machiavelli, Nicholas. The Qualities of the Prince. 1532. Print.

It was not so different for Agathocles, who freed Sicily from Carthage (30). Of a humble beginning as a potter's son, Agathocles rose to be King of Syracuse because he was able to take the reins of power and to defend himself and his sphere of control (30). His win over Carthage demonstrated that Agathocles was a tactician, capable to assessing a defensive and offensive military strategy (30). Agathocles won his place in Syracuse, by confronting the opposing forces and winning over them with sheer force and strategic attack (30). He did not let loyalty, friendship, faith, or family stop him from winning the prize upon which he had set his mind on having; Syracuse (30). Machiavelli says that Agathocles cannot be judged a poor military tactician, but he was, like Hiero, was a ruthless and murderous leader (31).

With these backgrounds, Machiavelli still puts both of these men in…

By giving benefits little by little, a ruler can close old wounds. (Chapter VIIII)

10. The injuries should be done quickly and swiftly. If a city must be destroy, it must be destroyed all at once. It should be done in such a way so as to ensure no unexpected circumstance pop up. This is despotic way of ruling in my opinion, and the people deserve better. (Chapter VIIII)

11. In order to stay in power, it is important to have the support of other rulers, so they will defend you if your principalities are in danger of being seized. The people ought to fear a ruler, when it is convenient for the ruler to appear all-powerful. Otherwise, if the people believe they are serving some good, they will be more willing to work for the general good. A happy shrewdness can make the people think they are doing this.…

" (Prince: 61)

The second important thing to focus on is the military strength of that person. Does the ruler possess greater military might than the displaced ruler? If yes, then there is no point in rejecting him as the new ruler. This is because with his military weapons, he is likely to prove valuable to the country in the long run. Michaela's views on the art of war and possession of arms make it clear that a well-armed ruler deserves our respect because he can be relied on in difficult times

Liberty is an important concept in this connection. Liberty is the collection of various rights, which must be safeguarded at all costs, or else the public will reject the new ruler. It is thus important to remember that even when the people of a country give up their freedom because of fear of the new ruler, the ruler…

References

Thomas Hobbes (author) a.R. Waller (editor) Leviathan: Or, the Matter, Forme & Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiasticall and Civill. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England. 1904

Niccolo Machiavelli (author) Peter Bondanella (Editor) the Prince. Oxford University, Oxford 1998

Hamlet act3 sene3 Machiavelli chapter 7-15-25-26 Lens Machiavelli concept Hamlet Intro - text author, content, method Paragraph1- Machiavelli concept explain applied hamlet compare Hamlet act3 sene3 Machiavelli chapter 7-15-25-26 work enables misunderstand play's ending significant relevant divergence hamlet Machiavelli Second essay compare Hamlet act 4.

First essay

Unlike Prince Hamlet, who is a man who is concerned with the morality of kingship as well as is an aggrieved son avenging his father, King Claudius of Shakespeare's Hamlet is primarily concerned with holding onto his power. Claudius does have some moral qualms about his actions, but not enough to repent. This is seen when Claudius tries to pray for forgiveness but is unable to do so: "O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven" (3.3). However, the political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli would diagnose Claudius' problem as being insufficiently ruthless up to this point in his dealings with his nephew. Claudius…

Works Cited

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Written c. 1505, published 1515. Translated by W.K.

Marriott, 1908 [13 Dec 2012]

 http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm 

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. MIT Shakespeare Homepage. [13 Dec 2012]

Cohn, Erasmus and Machiavelli

Political theory inevitably arise from the influences which affect a society at the time of their formation. During the time which communist leaders ruled Russia with an iron fist, the social order, or lack thereof, demanded a heavy handed approach to political leadership in order to bring order out of the chaos remaining after the olshevik revolutions, and the First World War. In America, the establishment of a state in which freedom of the individual is held as one of the highest moral goods of the people evolved in part due to the unfair and unjust monarchies of the European continent. The founders of the United stated had suffered under the tyranny of 'divine right' for centuries, and as a result, vowed to establish a country in which the guaranteed individual freedoms of each citizen formed the glue that would bond the country together.

Looking at…

Bibliography

Foxe, John. Fox's Book of Martyrs. William B. Forbush, ed. Chicago: John Winston Co. 1926

Huizinga, J. Erasmus and the age of Reforation. New York: Harper. 1957.

Schaub, D. Machiavelli's realism. The National Interest, No. 53, Fall 1998.

Walters, C. Machiavelli's immortal look at Livy. The Washington Times, August 11, 1996

Aristotle, Hobbes, Machiavelli and Bellah

hat are the different conceptions of knowledge that inform Hobbes's and Aristotle's respective accounts of politics? Be specific about questions of individualism, virtue, and justice. In Bellah's terms, what kind of politics would they support? How are they related to Bellah's views on the relationship between social science and social life?

Aristotle stated repeatedly that the needs of the state and society overrode individual pleasures, desires and happiness, while Hobbes regarded unchecked individualism as a menace to public peace and good order. Public virtue and justice for Aristotle were not based on purely individual feelings, desires or personal happiness, for "which it is satisfactory to acquire and preserve the good even for an individual, it is finer and more divine to acquire and preserve it for a people and for cities" (Aristotle 2). Virtue is the chief end of political life, but only the vulgar…

WORKS CITED

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 1994.

Bellah, Robert N. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. University of California Press, 2008.

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan, Revised Student Edition. Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Fortune and Machiavelli

Fortune in the Prince

During the Medieval and Renaissance periods political theorists often wrote books which were intended to be used as instructions for the rulers of the time. This was referred to as the "mirror of princes" technique, and the most famous of these instructional manuals was written by Niccolo Machiavelli and called The Prince. Although some versions of this book were around as early as 1513, the official printed version of his book actually was published in 1532, some time after the author's death. In his book The Prince, Macchiavelli discussed everything a ruler should know from how to gain and keep power to the qualities which make for a good prince. The author even discussed the concept of fortune, or luck, and how it should be dealt with by a prince. Fortune, according to Macchiavelli, was a real force of nature which a prince…

Works Cited

Machiavelli, Niccolo. "The Prince." The Project Gutenberg. Trans. W.K. Marriott. 11 Feb. 2006. Web 7 May 2011.

 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm

Marx would therefore react negatively towards the idea that some economic power cannot be distributed in an absolutely equal sense. Communism entails the equal distribution not only of wealth, but also of economic power. Liberalism does therefore fit into this ideal to some degree, but not entirely.

Machiavelli had a number of beliefs related to his economic paradigm. According ot this philosopher, human beings, society and culture can all be improved by means of education, and that central to such education stood manly virtues. This paradigm is more or less proved by means of the evolution of liberalism in the United States. A system that began as yet another form of coercion has developed to become an altogether improved paradigm. Indeed, the variety of ideologies within society at any given time greatly influenced the evolution of the liberalist ideology. This can be seen above, with the historical movements from World…

Bibliography

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Karl Marx." August 26, 2003

The Reader's Companion to U.S. History. "American Liberalism." 2004. http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_053200_liberalism.htm

This potential is in fact each man's ability to perform a certain task and fulfill a certain role in society. It is very important to note here that this role is determined by man's capacity to reason which is in fact, the key to understanding Aristotle's view on human nature. Regarding political regimes, Aristotle characterizes monarchy, aristocracy and polity as the good type of regimes whereas tyranny, oligarchy and democracy are labeled as 'corrupt'. The basic feature of a good government is that it rules in favor of the common interest while corrupt governments rule according to their own interest.

As far as the rule of law, Aristotle argues that in a good state, i.e. with a good government, there is a rule of law, and not of men, in other words, that man is to judge man according to laws which apply to everyone. In this sense, the rule…

Prince

In Machiavelli's The Prince, an unnamed narrator dictates an instruction manual to up and coming members of the monarchy about the correct ways for a royal to behave if he wants to be successful. Many of the pieces of advice provided in the pamphlet seem absurd or even cruel . Among these are the ideas that a leader must be above his people, specifically that a feared ruler will be less likely to be discounted or his rule threatened and that a ruler who is beloved by his people will appear to be weak in the eyes of his enemies. Similarly, "The Ascent of Mount Vertoux" by Petrarch is a letter discussing the exploits of a man and how he is superior to others and the famed character of Don Quixote is a man inferior to many who refuses to see this in himself. These stories all satirize the…

Works Cited

Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Print.

Machiavelli, Nicholas. The Prince. 1532. Print.

Petrarch, Francis. "The Ascent of Mount Vertoux." Print.

He had an opportunity to utilize his theories when he became head of the Florentine militia and helped overthrow the de Medici family rulers. His byword was "force and prudence," and he believed that demonstrating a combination of these two things is the mark of an effective leader. Kotter may agree that prudence is a valuable characteristic in a leader, but disagrees with the outdated principle of force, saying that change cannot be forced, it must be incorporated into one's life and future:

Change sticks only when it becomes "the way we do things around here," when it seeps into the very bloodstream of the work unit or corporate body. Until new behaviors are rooted in social norms and shared values, they are always subject to degradation as soon as the pressures associated with a change effort are removed (Kotter, 1996, 14).

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an influential philosopher, artist and…

Works Cited

Kotter, John. Biography. Harvard Business School, 2007. Website:  http://drfd.hbs.edu/fit/public/facultyInfo.do?facInfo=bio&facEmId=jkotter&loc=extn .

Kotter, John. Leading Change. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, 1996.

Kotter, John. Power and Influence. New York: Simon & Schuster Free Press.1985.

Aquinas / Machiavelli Edit

Comparing Aquinas and Machiavelli

Aquinas and Machiavelli both had an important position in the study of historical development of Western political theory. They were Italian giants of medieval philosophy and politics. One of their common arguments is that nature is the basis of politics, including the nature of human beings and the nature of nations. Some may argue that in the totality of comparison that the work of Machiavelli was superior to that of Thomas Aquinas.

Aquinas ackground

Aquinas's political thought started from the study of human nature. According to him, human beings are creations of the God. He agreed with Aristotle in that a human is a union of a body and a soul- a body is the matter, while a soul is the form. Also, bodies are under control of souls. He believed that humans have rational souls, which are abstract forms independent of…

Bibliography

Machiavelli, Niccolo, and David Wootton. Selected Political Writings. Indianapolis:

Hackett Pub., 1994.

Aquinas, St. Thomas. ON KINGSHIP or THE GOVERNANCE OF RULERS. DE REGIMINE PRINCIPUM, 1265-1267. (Handout received in Political Theory from ProfessorT. Bejan, Mississauga, Jan, 14th, 2014).

It is more about keeping ahead of your competitors, always staying ahead of the game, and playing all the positions adroitly. It is all about power and prestige, and it is fairly amazing that anything constructive gets accomplished when there is so much political posing going on. In that, it is quite difficult to think positively of politics and politicians after reading this book, but that was probably one of Matthews' objectives when he wrote the book. Most Americans want to believe that the politicians they elect have their interests at heart, and there may be some that actually do. They, however, seem to be in the minority, and according to this book, they probably will not be very successful, anyway.

Matthews notes that Machiavelli thinks the best leader is part lion and part fox (Matthews 152), and that is another apt analogy for today's politicians - it is evident…

References

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by Peter Bondanella, ed. Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998.

Matthews, Chris. Hardball: How Politics is Played - Told by One Who Knows the Game. New York: Summit Books, 1988.

Philosophies

Comparison of Locke, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Rousseau

The philosophies of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau encompass a spectrum of thought on how a state should be governed.

At one end is the cynicism of Machiavelli and, to some extent, Hobbes. Their ideas are countered by the democratic optimism of Locke and Rousseau. At the heart of each of these essays is each philosopher's assessment of the fundamental character of people and how much they can be trusted to govern themselves.

How we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather learn to bring about his own ruin than his preservation," wrote Machiavelli in The Prince. (Santoni 116).

Machiavelli is writing in the context of giving advice to a prince, or head of state, on how to govern. His statement demonstrates his…

Works Cited

Santoni, Ronald & Somerville, John, Social and Political Philosphy. New York, Anchor

Books, Doubleday and Company, 1963

Philosophy

Iraq under the reign of Machiavelli's Prince and Socrates' Golden Guardian

"Insurgent groups in Iraq warn that democracy could lead to passing un-Islamic laws, such as permitting homosexual marriage, if the majority of people agreed to it. 'Democracy is a Greek work meaning the rule of the people, which means that the people do what they see fit. This concept is considered apostasy (abandoning what one believed in) and defies the belief in one God-Muslim's doctrine." (San Francisco Chronicle, 31 December 2004, A3).

Machiavelli's advice regarding the conflict between the Iraqi insurgents and President Bush would be explicit, regarding the governance of Iraq -- do not leave governance up to the democratic will of the people, for this will only stimulate chaos and revolt and allow minority clerics to stimulate discontent amongst fundamentalist sympathizers in Iraq. Instead, install a New, pragmatically governing Prince who will neither rule by majority rule,…

Works Cited

Machiavelli. The Prince. Maintained: Jon Roland of the Constitution Society

Original URL:  http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm  | Text Version | PDF Version. Original date: 1997 July 10 -- Updated: 2003 July 23.

Plato. Republic. Translated by Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

San Francisco Chronicle. 31 December 2004. A3).

Machiavelli, Luther, And Muntzer

Must a good politician be morally bad? In the context of the Reformation, this question revolves around how Christians would define what is "morally bad" had become suddenly and seriously complicated by competing definitions of what constitutes "morally good" behavior. The rhetoric very often yielded more heat than light: Luther's and Muntzer's apparently sincere eschatological belief that the Vatican was to be identified with the hore of Babylon in the Book of Revelations made the question of cooperation with wicked temporal powers more than a purely academic one. Yet it is arguably the religious situation of Roman Catholicism in the first place that leads to the ethical differences in the political philosophies of Machiavelli, Luther and Muntzer. Indeed, the religious distinction that Luther upheld against the Vatican -- insisting on salvation sola fide, by faith alone, rather than by deeds -- indicates that in response to…

Works Cited

Luther, Martin. "Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed" (1523).

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by W.K. Marriott. Project Gutenberg; n pag. Web.

Muntzer, Thomas. "The Prague Protest" (1521).

Muntzer, Thomas. "A Highly Provoked Defense" (September, 1524)

Machiavelli and Shakespeare:

The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare's Plays

The Italian enaissance-era philosopher and political adviser Nicolo Machiavelli is one of the most famous and infamous writers on the subject of politics. Despite the common use of the synonym Machiavellian for evil, Machiavelli's seminal tract The Prince was considered so ground-breaking because of his emphasis on the practical nature of holding principalities versus a philosophy of the divine right of kings. Cunning rather than religion was the reason leaders triumphed, according to Machiavelli. Machiavelli was not necessarily opposed to democracy but rather advocated strong-armed techniques because simply from the prince's perspective that these methods were superior in holding territories. Machiavelli offered hard-headed words of wisdom versus ethical theories. Machiavelli's unsentimental and irreligious attitude towards kingship was very controversial at the time and influenced many of the depictions of villains in the Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare's plays, including Julius Caesar,…

References

Machiavelli, N. (2013). The Prince. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from:

 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm#link2HCH0006 

Shakespeare, W. (1993). Julius Caesar. Shakespeare Homepage. Retrieved from:

 http://shakespeare.mit.edu/julius_caesar/index.html

Politics

The Machiavellian Characteristics of President George . Bush

George . Bush has followed in his fathers' footsteps, becoming the 43rd President of the U.S., holding office between 2001 and 2009. He is a president that held power during a notable period, with the 9/11 attacks occurring only a year into his presidency. Like any U.S. president, there will be a number of controversial issues associated with his presidency, including the way action was taken in Iraq. In hindsight it may be argued that President Bush was acting in a very Machiavellian manner, aligned with Machiavelli's ideal Prince.

The alignment between the prince and Bush may not be surprising when it is realized that both a principle adviser to the president; Karl Rove, as well as Republic strategists and friend, Lee Atwater where both avid fans of Machiavelli (Phillips 147). However, to argue the likeness requires an examination of examples…

Works cited

Harris, P, "Bush says God chose him to lead his nation," The Guardian, 29 August 2005

Ludlow, Lawrence M, Machiavelli and U.S. Politics, 25 October 2013

Machiavelli, The Prince, <  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232 > 1513

Rycroft, D, Iraq: Prime Minister's Meeting, 23 July (Dearlove Memo), accessed 25th of October 2013

familiar with the adjective "machiavellian," very few are actually knowledgeable about the political philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli. However, Machiavelli does in fact have a great deal to teach us and we should be careful not to dismiss Machiavelli's thoughtfulness and acuity as an observer of human society by relegating his contributions to a single, uncomplimentary adjective. Especially in his Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius (much more so than in the more famous The Prince), we see in this writer of the Italian enaissance a man who was truly engaged in the intellectual work required to create a system of government that was based on ideals and yet that also acknowledged the realities of human society as he understood them from his particular historical perspective. This paper examines the particular suggestions that Machiavelli outlined in Discourses for a well governed republic.

We may begin our analysis of…

References

http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/kant.htm

 http://www.uoregon.edu/~rbear/hobbes/leviathan.html 

http://www2.r8esc.k12.in.us/socratic/resources/MachiavellisThePrince.html

Discourses on Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli,