Premium Essay

Machiavelli Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 636
Pages 3
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, writer, diplomat, historian and a Politician, who lived during the ‘renaissance era’ in Italy. He had been born in Florence on May 3, 1469. He was the eldest son of his family. His family was rich and had owned large tracts of land in the rolling. But Machiavelli was not such rich man. He described himself as a “without gainful employment”(King, 2007, p3). To many, Machiavelli is seen as an ‘evil person’, who is widely known for his maxims of politics, where he believes that for one to be considered as a strong rule, he must possess the necessary guts and bravado to rule with an iron fist, and be harsh to his subjects (King, 2007). His philosophy on politics and how …show more content…
His ideology was on how leaders should rule harshly and how immorality should be embraced at times, is a clear indication that Machiavelli was ‘unemotional’ to other people, and he can be said to have lived all his life trying to detach himself from what is normally referred as ‘conventional morality’, which made him feel that it was his duty to manipulate and deceive others, into doing things, which can be simply be interpreted as inhumane. For example, the massacre which happened on the St. Bartholomew Day in 1572, can be said to be as a direct result of what Machiavelli was ‘teaching’ people at the time. Such evil acts which happened because of the spread of the ‘Machiavelli philosophy’ to the people of Italy, and in general the world, are some of the factors that seem to taint Machiavelli’s historical reputation (King, 2007 …show more content…
His philosophy can be said not be based on the logical thing to do, but was normally based on doing the illogical thing as long one achieved what he desired. His philosophy on politics was that the ‘the ends justify the means’, and that is why he came up with some of his philosophies, like where he states that at times, violence was necessary for the stabilization of power. Such philosophies can be directly connected to the Italian humanism, which seems to have shaped his beliefs on what he considered as ‘urban politics, and which he said was necessary for promoting the much-needed secularism, and freedom of doing what one wished, whether it was immoral or moral (Cole & Symes, 2011

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Machiavelli Research Paper

...order to get or achieve something.” this word stems from Niccolo Machiavelli. Niccolo Machiavelli was born in 1946 in a small town near Florence Italy. His family held importance in offices and some had great wealth. You will see that Niccolo Machiavelli enjoyed lectures, held great power, and was sly with his actions. Machiavelli is often described as a trickster; He was also referred to as the antichrist. Although Machiavelli’s family was very wealthy and held important offices in the Florence's government; Niccolo’s father Bernardo Machiavelli was not as fortunate. Mr. Bernardo was the poorest member of the Machiavelli family. Mr. Bernardo’s profession was a doctor of law, he...

Words: 630 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Dfkfdkf

...Introduction Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian political philosopher, writer, and humanist who is recognized as the founder of modern political science and political ethics. Michaivelli was diplomat in Florence for 14 years but when the Medici family returned to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly jailed. While in jail, he wrote a handbook called “The Prince”, which was a guide for politicians on how to rule. This book influenced the minds of other politicians, inspiring the term “Machiavellian” and establishing Machiavelli as the “father of modern political theory”. In “The Prince”, Machiavelli presented the question whether it is better to be loved or feared, which has been debated since the book came out. Machiavelli Background Machiavelli was born on the May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. The young Machiavelli always had the desire to occupy political office. In 1494 Machiavelli obtained a job as a diplomat after the Medici family was exiled from rule and held this post for 14 years. He also gave advice on military tactics, successfully organizing infantry forces in specific Italian campaigns and establishing a Florentine militia. Machiavelli was jailed in 1512 after unsuccessfully attempting to organize a Florentine militia against the Medici family, who had returned to power. While in jail, Machiavelli desperately wanted to return to politics and his goal was to win the favor of Lorenzo d’ Medici, the governor of Florence. Machiavelli hoped to land an...

Words: 1139 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Prince vs Animal Farm

...educational leaders and educational leadership to examine the morality of Machiavelli’s practices in education. This paper will compare and contrast leadership elements in both The Prince and Animal Farm. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513. The purpose of The Prince was to record the knowledge that Machiavelli held in regards to leadership and power. Machiavelli lays out in details the ways in which a prince can come to power and how to maintain that power. The principles that Machiavelli put forth are straight forward with no sugar coating and often considered immoral. Orwell’s Animal Farm is in stark contrast to The Prince’s fiction. The novel is set on an English farm where the animals have taken over the farm from humans to rule it for themselves. The animals start out believing that the product of their labor will benefit only them and that all animals are to be treated equally. Over time one of the animals comes to power and emanates the human habits that lead to the overthrow of the humans in the first place. The work is satirical of the Communist Revolution and Stalinism. Orwell and Machiavelli present a united front in the portrayal of the non-ruling class. Machiavelli makes no apologies when he states “Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deception.” (Machiavelli 2011 p 46) Machiavelli presents the follower as simple minded, easily lead, and easily tricked. Orwell presents this idea over and over...

Words: 2277 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

The Declaration Today

...26 The Sixties: The Years That Shaped a Generation (continued) Homework: Journal response – The Sixties March 03 The Sixties journal response due Discuss Machiavelli/Jefferson essay prompt Man and the State: Machiavelli on Political Power Discuss rhetorical and critical reasoning implications Homework: World of Ideas – “Government Introduction: (14-19) Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince” (36-53) Journal response – Machiavelli text Prereading Questions (39); Questions for Critical Reading 1-5 (50) Define the terms ends and means, and explain why they are important. Compare Machiavelli’s advice with the behavior of a specific politician – past or present. Under what political circumstances might the ends justify the means? 05 The Old Globe 10 Machiavelli packet due Group presentation and discussion – Machiavelli Discuss rhetorical and critical reasoning implications Homework: World of Ideas – Jefferson’s “The Declaration of Independence” (76-84) Journal response to the Jefferson text Prereading Questions (80); Questions for Critical Reading1-5 (84) How does the document seem to define independence? Use this definition...

Words: 691 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The African Prince

...self-interest. This inseparability forms the foundation of classical realism, a prominent international relations theory that attests that human nature is self-serving, sinful and wicked. Such traits ultimately help to explain why all actors endeavour to satisfy their individual intentions (Sens 14). While principles of self-interest are central to the classical realist theory, it is the importance of power that has become widely synonymous with the realist perspective. Defined as the ability to make other actors do what they would not otherwise do, the pursuit of power is an instinctive desire of all individuals (Singer 81). One individual in particular, Niccolo Machiavelli, had arguably the most profound understanding in history of the importance of power (Kuper 1). In his acclaimed treatise The Prince, Machiavelli, a 15th century Florentine diplomat, advised state leaders – or princes – on effective approaches to statecraft. As an extension of classical realism, Machiavellian views have proven to be timeless and universal, as they have been identified in many geopolitical contexts of the modern era. This essay will argue that African state leaders’ decisions from 1970 to 1985 were justified by Machiavellian realist principles, by examining the importance of preserving power, maintaining the national interest and the appropriate use of cruelty. Machiavelli’s beliefs are best described as an extension of classical realism,...

Words: 2674 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Political Philosophy

...The Art of Rulership: a Comparative Study of Han Fei Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli’s Political Philosophy A Research Paper Presented to the Undergraduate Faculty of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies College of Arts and Sciences University of San Carlos In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirement in Legal Philosophy James Clyde Castillote Ranario October 2014 1. Introduction The history of mankind, passed through generations to generations in written and oral accounts, never failed to mention the rise and fall of great civilizations. In every epoch that mankind has gone through, a certain society or culture will always take an honor or disgrace in the center stage of history. This might be an honor credited for an achievement over a magnitude of victory, or a disgrace in a painful experience of defeat. From the earliest known Indian and Chinese civilizations in the East, to the powerful triumvirate of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations in the West, we can only say of two things — they all gloriously rose and proved to be kingdoms of undaunted power and might, but fall on their knees in bitter shame and demise. Although chronicles of our thousand-year-old history might not be that clear as to foretell the rise and fall of these great civilizations, however we all know that behind the stronghold of these empires, there commands a ruler, a great ruler — A leader that is responsible for meticulously planning the moves and conducts towards the rise...

Words: 6363 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Leadership

...Machiavelli's Tiger: Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore's Authoritarian Regime By Uri Gordon (student at the Department of Political Science, Tel Aviv University, Israel) Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless. Lee Kuan Yew, 6.10.1997 Introduction ‘History’, observes Adorno, ‘is the unity of continuity and discontinuity’. Even a basic awareness to this reality should be enough to prevent anyone – especially the new sojourner into the realm of political science – from making coarse comparisons between past and present. And yet, sometimes the picture is so compelling, so painfully clear, that it simply cannot be ignored. Faced with it, all one can do is carefully explore the contours of the ancient and the new, hoping to retain enough responsibility to open his eyes to the differences when they manifest themselves. This is what the current paper sets out to do. Though hundreds of years and thousands of miles stand between 16th century Italy and 20th century Singapore, between the writings of Niccolò Machiavelli and the statecraft of Lee Kuan Yew, the similarities are extraordinary. This paper will argue that the political views and actions of Singapore’s ruling elite – more precisely, those of the country’s ‘founding father’ Lee Kuan Yew – can be powerfully interpreted through an application of Machiavellian principles. This interpretation takes place on two levels. First, the political actions of Singapore’s...

Words: 7718 - Pages: 31

Free Essay

Applying the Lesson of History to Modern Police Leadership Training

...The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas _________________ Applying the Lessons of History to Modern Police Leadership Training _________________ A Leadership White Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Required for Graduation from the Leadership Command College _________________ By Kenneth W. Sidenblad Bee Cave Police Department Bee Cave, Texas Date Submitted (month year) ABSTRACT Law enforcement continues to move in the direction of a profession and away from being only a vocation. Police officers of today are better trained and educated than at any time in the past. This demands police leaders be up to the challenge to lead them. Law enforcement leaders must enhance their knowledge and incorporate training ideas in use by other professions. Applying lessons from academic subject material is an important part of leadership development in many professions, and should be emphasized in training future police leaders. This will enable law enforcement leaders to develop as leaders in a profession. One academic subject used in other professions to develop leaders is the study of history. History provides a wealth of material from which valuable insights and examples of leadership may be drawn from. Lessons drawn from history are used by other professions to enhance the quality of leadership within those professions. Leadership lessons from history should be incorporated into modern police leadership...

Words: 4976 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Management History

...Purpose – To assist colleagues in tying current ideas to previously established practices. To generate discussion of the current relevance of students’ understanding management history. Design/methodology/approach – A review of representative classic theorists with an eye toward matching their behavior to that of current newsmakers. This is presented in a model to insure that like areas are compared. Findings – The past is in the present. Although we may live in the day of “enlightened” “collaborative” management; there are still successful people who operate differently. Practical implications – Readers of the paper will be able to make immediate application of the model. Originality/value – Even presentation of the obvious has value. The model format is a dynamic document that others can use and improve upon. Keywords Management history, Management theory Paper type General review ˆ Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay ¸ the same. Whatever the intended interpretation, this well-known phrase communicates the idea that the past serves as an accurate prologue and interpreter for the present as well as the future. Plutarch, centuries ago, observed: To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future. Journal of Management History Vol. 12 No. 3, 2006 pp. 278-292 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1751-1348 DOI 10.1108/17511340610670188 ...

Words: 7228 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Machiavellian and Narcissism

...Understanding Machiavellianism and Narcissism Roshan Priyadarshi (B14103) Vishwajeet Goel (B14121) Madhur Maheshwari Tanveer Ali (B14118) Ankur Gupta Section B Abstract This paper tries to explore the concept of Narcissism and Machiavellianism and the effect of these on a person’s personality as a whole. Narcissism, personality trait of egoism, conceit, or simple selfishness and Machiavellianism, employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct, if in excess seem to have a negative effect on a person’s behaviour. The characteristics of the person indulging in these traits are analysed through this research and also the effects of their presence in excess to . Machiavellianism and narcissism can be called to be some of the most important and governing constituents of one’s personality and thus governs the behaviour of people at their workplace or in their decision making to a great extent. Consequences of very high or very low Machiavellianism and narcissism can be grave and therefore effects of both these conditions are evaluated. Also methodologies to determine the level of Narcissism and Machiavellianism in an individual are discussed through this paper. Hopefully this research will provide insights to the positive and negative effects of Narcissism and Machiavellianism and assist the reader in avoiding or minimising the negative effects of these. Narcissism The term was coined by Freud after Narcissus who in Greek myth was a pathologically...

Words: 2460 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

' Aerial Warfare, And Heinz Guderian's Achtung Panzer !

...as British physicist and posterior Nobel Prizer winner Dennis Gabor once said, ‘cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented.’ (1964 p. 207). Indeed, over the past centuries warfare, parallel to the tactics, techniques, procedures and technology implemented have substantially evolved. Therefore, it could be argued that Sun Tzu, Machiavelli and Clausewitz would have been in difficulties envisag-ing drones, air-to-air refuelling, precision-guided munition or domains of cyber and space to be emerged. Behind all this, however, are people – practitioners, academ-ics and scholars – spending intellectual energy and ink while conducting a com-plete analysis of past wars and developing some hypothesis about future war. Theo-rists of German General Heinz Guderian and Italian General Giulio Douhet, as well as their treatises, serve as good examples of the latter....

Words: 760 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Slight Work

...with some explanation. The explanation came in the work Beyond Good and Evil and the work we are reading, On the Genealogy of Morals. The latter work is the one most structured like the philosophic thought of the enlightenment – more treatise-like. So, hopefully we shall be able to uncover a little Nietzsche without drifting into the abyss. This essay, like the last two, is designed to focus you on a single question regarding Nietzsche’s thoughts in On The Genealogy of Morals. You are to explore to a deeper level any question that is raised for you by the work, using Nietzsche’s work. In other words, no external “research” is expected, but if it will help your exploration, it is allowed. I would add a caution that this is least likely to help on Nietzsche because of the plethora of extremely bad Nietzsche interpretations floating in the cloud. As with both the Machiavelli and Rousseau essay, it is important to note that this is NOT a summary and it is NOT a review. Nietzsche repeated in your own words or a book review of On The Genealogy of Morals is not the purpose of this essay. The purpose is to achieve a deeper understanding of Nietzsche’s thought, as expressed in On The Genealogy of Morals, than would be obtained by a casual reading. There must be a question you pursue to a deeper point and since there is a question, there must be an answer provided. The answer may have some qualifications, but no...

Words: 923 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Serial Killer's Life Theory

...Machiavellianism sub-scale of the SD3 is “It’s wise to keep track of information that you can use against people later.” Drawn from the writings of Machiavelli (The Prince and The Discourses), Machiavellianism has been described as a generally insensitive strategy for dealing with other people, especially with respect to those who are viewed as manipulable in social situations (LeUnes 2008). Machiavellianism is the only sub-scale of the SD3 that has an environmental or social factor to it (Furnham, Richards and Paulhus 2013). Underlying personality elements that are common to all three sub-scales of the SD3 include a lack of agreeableness, honesty, humility, and empathy, and a tendency toward interpersonal antagonism (Furnham, Richards and Paulhus 2013). An example of an item from the narcissism sub-scale of the SD3 is “I insist on getting the respect I deserve.” While Machiavellianism is mostly an other-oriented personality trait, narcissism is very much a self-centered trait. Rising from renditions of the Greek myth of Narcissus, the young man so obsessed with his own beauty that he lost the will to live, narcissism is recognized by the DSM-V as a true psychological disorder. Narcissists fixate on the self and...

Words: 1075 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Connect Then Lead

...Spotlight on Influence Spotlight Artwork Jessica Snow Curly Words, 2011, acrylic on paper 17" x 21" HBr.org Amy J.C. Cuddy is an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Matthew Kohut and John Neffinger are the authors of Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential (Hudson Street Press, August 2013) and principals at KNP Communications. Connect, Then Lead To exert influence, you must balance competence with warmth. by Amy J.C. Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger July–August 2013 Harvard Business review 55 Spotlight on InFluEncE Is it better to be loved or feared? Niccolò Machiavelli pondered that timeless conundrum 500 years ago and hedged his bets. “It may be answered that one should wish to be both,” he acknowledged, “but because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved.” Now behavioral science is weighing in with research showing that Machiavelli had it partly right: When we judge others—especially our leaders—we look first at two characteristics: how lovable they are (their warmth, communion, or trustworthiness) and how fearsome they are (their strength, agency, or competence). Although there is some disagreement about the proper labels for the traits, researchers agree that they are the two primary dimensions of social judgment. Why are these traits so important? Because they answer two critical questions: “What are this person’s intentions...

Words: 4513 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Performance in Corporate Kenya

...Author: Zachary Kabera, 20 May 2014 Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Performance in Corporate Kenya Background to the study Effective leadership is about striving to be significant and seeking to create the greatest impact and influence as a contribution to an organization’s success (Jensen, 2012); hence, the need to identify and define what effective leadership is. Mechanical knowledge, outstanding performance, and reputable practices no longer suffice as the only benchmark of effective leadership. The paradigm has shifted to a position where effective leaders are noticed by how they inspire and motivate others, are able to promote a conducive work environment, understand and manage emotions, build ties, communications, and influence so that the followers are affected positively (Nath, 2013). It is outstanding in an organization and will always be remembered and admired because of its own exceptional style and approach in supporting innovation and initiative and enhancing an organizational culture that promotes integration and collaboration at the workplace; it creates an environment where employees feel secure, and embraces two-way communication and promotes active listening (Llopis, 2013).  This kind of leadership is about observing the dynamics around the organization and surmounting them by constantly looking for ways to challenge the status quo and identifying the way out of those challenges (Jensen, 2012; Llopis, 2013). Human influences and effects of emotions...

Words: 1297 - Pages: 6