...prince’s domain. Furthermore, he explains ways to evaluate the strong points and vulnerabilities of other principalities and concludes with the qualities or characteristics a prince should possess to maintain his status. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this book is the suggestion Machiavelli gives about the characteristics a prince should develop in order to be successful, particularly the idea of responsibility, kindness or compassion, and the concept of trust or faith. This paper will focus on these key characteristics or qualities Machiavelli suggests a prince should possess and compare them with leadership based on character. Character based leadership suggests there is a direct correlation between character, ethics and how leadership is developed. It is based upon seven “classical virtues”, courage, faith, justice, prudence, temperance, love and hope. Each of these virtues describes a certain aspect of character and, when they become intertwined, “they profoundly describe a way of life” (Kolp & Rea, 2006). Character will define an individual’s ability to lead, to make ethical decisions and how an individual interacts with others, “Character is more than behavior; character is one’s way of both being and doing in the world” (Kolp & Rea, 2006). Character based leadership also suggests an effective leader must be...
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...leadership is arguably one of the most written about topics with regard to comparing and contrasting. Throughout history, it can be argued that the majority of successful societies have been based upon effective divisions of leadership. Accordingly, in their pieces of literature, The Tao-te Ching and The Qualities of the Prince, Lao-tzu and Machiavelli have sought to convey a more complete and concrete understanding of their respective definitions and duties of a ruler (leadership). The theme of political leaders and their intricate relationship with society indeed validate itself within both texts. However, both Lao-tzu and Machiavelli approach this issue from almost entirely opposite positions, though sharing minute similarities. Lao-tzu appears to focus the majority of his attention on letting problems or situations take their course, and consequently good would prevail. On the contrary, Machiavelli advocates the necessity for a successful leader, or prince, to take control of his deeds, and the skills or qualities necessary to maintain power. Since both writers propose a question as to what is in essence the same dilemma, effective leadership, it becomes almost natural literary etiquette to contrast the two in an effort to better understand what qualities a prosperous leader must possess. Despite each author’s contrasting approaches to rhetoric, they agree that a ruler should avoid being hated and despised, but disagree in areas such as government involvement in citizens’ everyday...
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...Kristine Mae S. Yaun BS Management II October 21,2014 Social Studies 2 I. Review of Machiavelli’s Political Theory Niccolo Machiavelli is often called as “ father of Modernity “ because of his intention to ground politics in an account of human nature. He is different from the other philosophers that we had tackled in the past. His views on effective leadership is by force which might be disturbing to others. He has been viewed as evil throughout the centuries , but as most business leaders and politicians agree Machiavelli has only defined the physics of power (“Great Book” t.v) The Prince is an extremely practical book because it does not tell about the ideal leader for an ideal society but it explains the readers what actions and qualities have enabled the prince to best rule a certain principality no matter what the circumstances are. He recommends the characteristics of a prince that he must posses is that it is better to be stingy than generous .Many people might disagree with this because a leader is expected by many to be helpful to everyone , the one who is approachable and the one who is not feared but loved. But in Machiavellian’s view he states that “it is better to be feared than to be loved because according to him love is something that is deceitful and inconsistent” because feelings change .. Being feared on the other hand is consistent and person who is intended to follow the rules of the land will not only be expected to be obliged to follow...
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...The Power of Machiavelli’s The Prince Nowadays, it is politically impossible to commit to paper a “training guide” for leaders. There are innumerable detractors to any possible stance or strategy a leader might adopt. As a result of this, all “training” must take place behind closed doors, far from the prying eyes and ears of the news media or the public. But this has not always been the case. The Prince was one of the first humanist works of the Renaissance. Indeed it is a work of art, a literary masterpiece of sorts. Yet this work has been vehemently debated over the centuries and remains one of the most controversial pieces of writing today. (Nederman) Niccolò Machiavelli was brave enough to give the leaders of his day a how-to guide. In this work, The Qualities of a Prince, we are given a point-by-point description of what a leader should do to effectively lead his country. Machiavelli’s philosophy is basically to become a good leader you must do anything even it is immoral and wrong. He first writes that a prince’s duty concerning military matter must always think of war only, even in times of peace. They must know their surroundings exactly so they can defend and make effective strategies to counter the enemy’s attack. They must also know historical battles so they will be able to learn their tactics and improve on it. (Jacobus) Machiavelli explains that, because leadership is obviously a position of command, “war is the only profession which benefits one who commands...
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...is a basic dissertation on the qualities a prince or a leader must have in order to retain his power and authority. Similarly, the “Tao-te Ching” is a philosophical document that is known to be written by Lao-tzu. The document provides a foundation for the religion of Taoism and speaks about good leadership and moral behavior. While Machiavelli believes in practical, dominant and severe methods, Lao-tzu approaches the theme of leadership with detachment, patience and equanimity. Therefore, as both Lao-tzu and Machiavelli seem to have two extremely contrasting philosophies...
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...sarcastic expression continually playing around his mouth and winking from his eyes’. This report is based on Machiavelli’s most famous work, The Prince, which was written in 1513-14. While The Prince was not the foremost book of this kind, it was the first to propose a government that dominates with no respect for religious belief or morality. Machiavelli did not particularly pay heed to religious law in the manner he lived his life, but he likewise did not particularly care for the Catholic Church of the time because of the lack of ethics demonstrated by the Pope's and other supposedly "religious men's" actions at the time. The Prince, a handbook for politicians on the employment of ruthless, self-serving cunning, inspiring the term "Machiavellian" and establishing Machiavelli as the "father of modern political theory."(History.com) There are many types of leaderships that after being present over the centuries. Leadership styles have developed over time, with a prominent shift from the autocratic and directive leadership in the twentieth century to a more participative and democratic style of the younger generation. These changes in leadership styles can be ascribed to a combination of events including a switch in people’s attitudes as well as advances in technology. In fact, choosing the right way, at the proper time in the right place is a key element of leader effectiveness. That’s not what most people do. They will normally have one style applied in all positions. It’s...
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...Moral Qualities of a Leader Niccolo Machiavelli felt that a leader should look like he has morals instead of actually having them. He felt that the image a leader portrayed was way more important than how the leader actually was. He felt that it was alright if a leader lied to his people and it was necessary to execute a few people to make an example of the rest. Machiavelli is quoted as saying, “Nevertheless, generosity employed in such a way as to give you a reputation for it will injure you, because if it is employed virtuously, and as one should employ it, it will not be recognized, and you will not avoid the infamy of its opposite.” (Machiavelli 54) What Machiavelli is saying here is that to be successful a leader needs to appear to be good even if he is not. He’s also saying that a leader who is virtuous will not succeed and will not be appreciated by his people. In my opinion, I feel that a leader must possess some degree of honesty and generosity. I feel that one important quality a leader must possess is honesty. Without honesty a government will eventually fail. People will eventually find the truth out about certain things and when they do it will be not good for the government. I feel that even though governments should always be honest that this isn’t the case most times. Governments lie to their subjects all the time so they feel safe or to get them to believe whatever the government wants to get things accomplished. Machiavelli felt that a leader did...
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...One may think that little comparison could be made between Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. However many of the theories of leadership put forward in 1513 in The Prince can be found in Animal Farm. Those same ideas and theories can be applied to 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...
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...Plato’s Republic and Machiavelli’s The Prince are each hugely important texts in the history of philosophy. Even though they were written approximately 1900 years apart, they represent two of the most valuable commentaries on political philosophy. They are of course, very different in their discussions of philosophy, yet some similarities are evident. Plato writes about philosophy through the mouth of Socrates, illustrating indirectly through a lengthy dialogue his own ideas and opinions. As a contrast to this method of narration, Machiavelli writes The Prince as a letter of personal advice to Lorenzo Medici. Within his work, Machiavelli makes numerous recommendations that have earned him the label of a heartless and cruel man. Plato, on the other hand, makes much of his discussion about the true nature of philosophy and the just treatment of all citizens. Despite numerous differences, Plato and Machiavelli each desire the rule of philosophers in their states, but while Plato approaches this with direct rule and education of philosopher-kings, Machiavelli appeals to manipulation and deceit in order to secure the rule of philosophers. Plato’s aim in his political state is for the greatest good of all people, through the best balancing of the natural elements on an individual and political scale. According to Plato, the human soul is comprised of the reasoning part, the spirited part and the appetites. The parallel elements within a city are the rulers, warriors and artisans...
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...ambition from a young age. This forces Lao-tzu's writings into idealism, even if it was not meant as such. Even though they share some similar ideas, Machiavelli deals with the practical reality of being a prince, while Lao-tzu writes about being a master governing an idealistic nation. While they are not opposites, they do not mesh well with one another. There are two large differences in these writer's philosophies. First, Machiavelli's government is entirely focused on preserving itself. Wartime and political intrigue are the only things that matter to the prince's leadership. Keeping that leadership is the only thing that should matter to the prince. Conversely, the master doesn't lead at all. The people don't follow him, they follow the example he sets. When Lao-tzu's "[m]aster governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists " (tzu 4). The master is as uninvolved with the people's everyday lives as possible. The master's government only exists to help the people in keeping with the Tao. Second is in the prince's and master's obligations as leaders. A prince "must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war" (mach 1)....
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...Neil Adams Professor Cara Chang Humanities 300 07 September 2012 Exploring The Major Themes of Machiavelli's "The Prince" To find out what motivated Machiavelli to write “The Prince”, it is necessary to look at the Italy that he lived in at the time and where he gained his insights into governance. He grew up in a time where Popes had their own armies and went to war with Italian city-states in hopes of gaining more territory. Power held by the rulers was tumultuous at best; people and cities might fall at any time. The Popes weren’t the only forces that major cities such as Venice and Florence had to deal with. Foreign countries such as France, Spain, the Catholic Church, and Switzerland also were engaged in battles for control and influence in the region. Most of these major cities relied heavily upon mercenaries to help fight their battles. These Condottieri, or mercenary leaders, were very fickle and changed sides without warning which made political and military alliances very weak, which in turn made Italy as a whole weak ("Niccolò Machiavelli"). Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, was a founder of modern political science who lived in Florence during the Renaissance period. He was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. Niccolò was the first son and third child of attorney, Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli, and his wife, Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli. At a young age became a pupil of a renowned Latin teacher, Paolo da Ronciglione, where he was taught history...
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...gaining possession of Milan, as speedily lost it; … For the very people who had opened the gates to the French King, when they found themselves deceived in their expectations and hopes of future benefits, could not put up with the insolence of their new ruler.’ ‘I conclude, therefore, that when a prince has the goodwill of the people he must not worry about conspiracies; but when the people are hostile and regard him with hatred he must go in fear of everything and everyone. Well-organized states and wise princes have always taken great pains not to make the nobles despair, and to satisfy the people and keep them content; this is one of the most important tasks a prince must undertake.’ (Machiavelli, 1513) A. The extract from Machiavelli’s, The Prince demonstrates a strong correlation to the issues involved in the business activities of modern day MNCs and the concept of ethical leadership. According to Resick, Hanges, Dickson, & Mitcheluson (2006), analysing data from the global leadership and organizational effectiveness (GLOBE) project, there were four key dimensions identified as global ethical leadership: character/integrity, altruism, collective motivation and encouragement. Although these were all universally recognised characteristics the degree to which these were endorsed and the significance attached to key aspects varied across different cultures. From the extract the...
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...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...
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...Virtù in The Prince In The Prince, Machiavelli’s concept of virtue is different from the modern connotations of the word, which is indicative of moral excellence. In the text the word in the original translation is virtù from the Latin virtus, which carries broad connotations of valor, excellence, character and worth. The classical concept of ‘civic virtue’ as put forward by philosophers such as Aristotle as a moral code applicable to both rulers and subjects, contrasts with Machiavelli’s concept of virtù, which is applicable to rulers of state. Machiavelli’s virtù is ‘political virtue’, that is virtue defined both within and by politics. Political virtue consists of knowing how to make use of an art or skill to advance in the world. It is this idea that he puts forth, the ability of a ruler to do whatever must be done in order to achieve success, for it is the successful ruler who is the virtuous one. In Chapter VI, Machiavelli extols the virtues of ‘remarkable men’, specifically those of Cyrus, Romulus and Theseus. Men he believes to fully embrace the idea of virtù. Though each man individually faced his own hurdles to overcome, such as Romulus who if not abandoned at birth, would not have wanted to become King of Rome. Despite their luck or fortuna it was their virtù that gave them the ability to overcome and use their adversities, like Cyrus using the ‘Persians discontented under the rule of the Medes’. For as Machiavelli states: “If their deeds and careers are examined...
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...In “The Morals of the Prince”, author Niccolo Machiavelli states what makes a good leader and all the necessary tools that a leader has to have or to not have. In other words “It is a study of leadership and an argument that leaders must do anything necessary to hold onto power” (pg 1). Machiavelli uses historical examples and emotional appeal to explain the process of how princes keep power and remain on top. Machiavelli uses emotional appeal to support what he says most of the time. He states, “Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are” (pg 5). The meaning behind this quote is that a leader can make people believe a certain way, but that doesn’t mean that’s how a leader truly is. This strategy is effective. People do...
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