...THE SUPERIOR FORM OF GOVERNANCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE VIEWS OF NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI AND LAO TZU Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science College of Arts and Sciences San Sebastian College- Recoletos, Manila August 2013 Vincent Roland R. Managuelod Ray Joshua B. Valdez INTRODUCTION In Politics there are many schools of thought that form the basis for the policies used in the operation of the government. These schools of thought vary greatly in purpose and belief, with many of these schools actively opposing one another. Ultimately, whatever beliefs these schools of thought may hold, and whatever actions these beliefs may lead them and the state their purpose is to shape the state into what they believe is ideal and beneficial for all. Of the many ideologies which are followed by statesmen, varied they may be, the ultimate goal is to create a society according to their ideals. In this study we will be discussing two thinkers whose schools of thought have had a significant impact on political philosophy today. The first is Niccolo Machiavelli. A philosopher, politician, diplomat and historian whose works have made his name a by-word for pragmatism and ruthlessness not just in politics but in everyday life. His most famous work, the Prince, advocated the separation of personal morals to that of one’s political morals, and the emphasis not on ideology but on what would be the most beneficial...
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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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...return of the Medici’s family. This experience as top official of the Florentine Republic had obviously a huge impact on the development of both his later life, characterized by a succession of disgraces and stroked of bad luck, and his thought. Indeed, as Maurizio Viroli asserts, “Machiavelli considered himself to be an expert on a special art which we call statecraft and he called “arte dello stato”3. There is no denying that, if we look at most of his writings, we will realize that several concepts such as conflict and war play a central part in the system of thought developed by “Old Nick”, as he has less than affectionately been called. Therefore, can we say that Machiavelli is above all a theorist of the central role of military power and conflict, understood as a test in the existence of any form of government, no matter whether it is a republic or a...
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...Machiavelli Born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy, Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat for 14 years in Italy's Florentine Republic during the Medici family's exile. When the Medici family came back to power in 1512, Machiavelli was dismissed and briefly imprisoned. Machiavelli as an individual has been described as aloof, as standing to one side of life ‘with a 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...
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...Leveroos World Civ 12/8/2014 Machiavelli, Luther, Loyola: Three Names within an Era of Reformation Niccolo Machiavelli, Martin Luther, and Ignatius of Loyola were three contemporaries of the early sixteenth century, all of which had recognized a theological-political crisis in their age. In 1546 Catholicism was under siege by a new and troublesome adversary葉he Reformation. In one fell swoop, the Christian World was cleft in twain. Ignatius and Martin Luther had both been active in the Protestant Reformation, while Martin Luther had been a driving force for the Protestant Reformation, Ignatius on the other hand was the founder of the Illuminati and Jesuit Order which led the Counter-Reformation. The Jesuit Order was to become the most vile, bloody and persecuting order in the Roman Catholic church. This order was an elaborate spy system, so that no one in the order was safe. If there was any opposition, death was imminent and swift. Martin Luther had dedicated himself to the Augustinian order, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. In 1507 he was ordained to the priesthood, and in 1508 he was sent to teach Theology at the newly founded University of Wittenberg, later being called to the position of Doctor in Bible. Martin Luther had started the Reformation with a copy of his Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences�?which came to be known as The Ninety-Five Theses. He had also been initially...
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...Science Niccolo Machiavelli Niccolo Machiavelli was born from a prominent family in Florence, Italy on May 3, 1469. He had received a typical education, learning Latin in his early life while he neither excelled in banking and trade. During Machiavelli’s early life, Florence was effectively controlled by the Medici family. The Medici’s were rich and powerful, they owned banks, which were the reason as to why Florence excelled in bank and trade areas. But the Medici family fell from power and was replaced by Girolamo Savonarola. On year 1502, Machiavelli was assigned as an envoy in Rome. He met Cesare Borgia, an infamous papal prince and despot in which it had been stated that the Pope may have influenced Machiavelli’s views on political philosophy. Sadly, Machiavelli witnessed the events leading up to Borgia’s murder. Florence was in conflict with the Pope and his Spanish allies, who sent armies to Florence to remove the Soderini government. In 1512, the Medici family returned to Florence, and the people soon demanded that they be put back in power. Soderini was exiled. Machiavelli, as a supporter of the Soderini government was removed from his office by the new regime, fined, and forbidden to be in any Florentine territory. After Machiavelli’s exile in Florence, he started writing his most famous work “The Prince”. “The Prince” is a detailed observations of his about human behavior, leadership, and foreign policy. Machiavelli described the qualities of a “Prince”. A “Prince”...
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...Niccolò Machiavelli was a keen political observer and a student of roman history. He lamented Italy’s disunity in the face of continuous rivalry among the city-states. The threat of foreign invasion become a reality in 1494, when French armies marched into Italy, thus initiating a series of wars that left Italy divided and impoverished exiled from Florence upon the collapse of the republican government he had served from 1498 to 1512 and eager to win favor with the Medici now that they had returned to power Machiavelli penned the prince a political treatise that called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. In the prince, Machiavelli argued that the need for a strong state justified strong rules. He pictured the secular prince as one who was schooled in war and in the lessons of history. The ruler must trust no one, least of all mercenary soldier. He must imitate the lion in his fierceness, but he must also act like a fox to outsmart his enemies. Finally, in the interest of the state, he must be ruthless and if necessary, he must sacrifice moral virtue. Between the years of 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia, including the City's defense. However, in August 1512 the Medici, helped by Pope Julius II, used Spanish troops to defeat the Florentines at Prato. After his involvement in an unsuccessful attempt to organize a Florentine militia against the return of the Medici family to power in 1512 became known, Machiavelli...
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...John Locke made the most influence on the world compared to Machiavelli. Machiavelli and John Locke both had about the same effect on the world even though they were different ideas. Niccolo Machiavelli had amazing ideas and taking power and politics. Even though Niccolo wrote his book in the 14th century his ideas are used all the time in todays day. Many rulers and politicians use his book as a guide on how to rule. Niccolo wrote the prince because he wanted to show people how ruling shouldn’t be. John Locke did the “Two Treatises of Civil Government”, an essay concerning human understanding, and “The Social Contract.” The “Two Treatises of Civil Government” are essays that showed the ideas of personal government, and democratic nations. The essays laid out a basic outline for our governments today. An essay concerning human understanding laid out a lot of ideas about the country. It talked about how “every man is his equal.”(Locke) “The Social Contract” talked about have an equal relationship between government and the people....
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...NT1 The Prince: Machiavelli’s Methodology on Leadership Niccolo Machiavelli, the first modern thinker, dedicated The Prince to Lorenzo De Medici and the De Medici family as a “how to guide” on becoming a successful ruler and more importantly, how not to be a successful ruler. As in any philosopher’s works, there are many components that are comprised into one common theme. Machiavelli presents a strong methodology and main concept which is to act in your own self-interest if you want to become a leader, and to do so by any means necessary. In The Price, one of his most famous works, Machiavelli establishes his leadership guidelines on specific categories such as virtue, goodwill, hatred, and reputation, just to name a few. Machiavelli’s goal in The Prince is to distinguish why human nature is the leading cause of a princes’ ultimate success or failure. Machiavelli strongly feels that the idea of politics is not a natural, innate part of humankind. It is crucial for a prince to reflect on the actions of great men that came before him and the history surrounding them. Within the text, Machiavelli does not focus on unity nor does he focus on the virtuous soul. He strictly concentrates on consequences because they are facts which we can verify. Due to this belief, Machiavelli’s ideas represent the consequentialist approach to morality. Meaning, consequences are driven purely by an individual’s actions. Therefore, the means by which individuals go about taking those actions...
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...leader? According to Niccolo Machiavelli, he must “read histories and in them study the deeds of great men” (41). This phrase comes from Machiavelli’s “Qualities of the Prince,” a section from the book “A World of Ideas.” Niccolo Machiavelli was a very critical writer who lived from the year 1469 to 1527. One of his most famous works, The Prince, is still highly controversial today. This is mainly due to its cynical nature and disputed methods for successful leadership (Jacobus, 38). While Machiavelli describes an intelligent approach to a position of authority, there is an exception to everything. I agree with Machiavelli’s theory that following another ruler’s advice will improve your own leadership skills. After all, children learn by example, so why can’t a manager do the same?...
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...Niccoló Machiavelli Asha Chang The University of the West Indies Niccolo Machiavelli From the centuries of the Dark Ages to the time of St. Tomas Aquinas’ birth, marked a time of steady increase in thought and knowledge. A man would come after however, adding new knowledge by taking a different approach from his fore runners, about the state and governance. Some would refer to his work as promoting the evil nature of man, which happen to be persons who have never read his work; while others believe that he only gives evidence to his heightened intellect and reveals the true nature of human-kind. This man was known as Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy to a relatively well of family in 1469 and died in 1527 A.D. He was born at the time when Europe was blossoming with the Renaissance (rebirth of knowledge/learning). He is known as the Man of Age and Reason. He was born in an era that discovered and explored the World of Classical Greece and Rome; on the one hand and embraced the scientific and technological innovations of the emerging capitalist class and of Arab scientists and technologists. After the 14th century the writings and thoughts began to move in the direction to rationalism/secular beliefs and by the 15th century the Renaissance was born like a little baby growing with Classical Humanism by which knowledge broke with faith and claimed superiority over it. “The Renaissance goes beyond the moral selfhood of Stoicism, the spiritual uniqueness...
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...Niccolò Machiavelli and Martin Luther: Shaping Modern Political Theory By: Andrew Plotnikov Hist 151-001 I pledge that I received no unauthorized assistance in the completion of this work _____________________________________ Martin Luther and Niccolò Macchiavelli were two European figures in the early sixteenth century who recognized crises of leadership and authority in Europe. Machiavelli and Martin Luther were arguably two of the greatest reformist minds of early 1500s, and their reactions to the crises of leadership present in their countries through their writings led to tremendous political and religious advancements; through their analyses of legitimate rule in The Prince (Machiavelli), and On Christian Freedom and Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (Luther), Machiavelli essentially shaped modern political thought, and Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation that shocked Europe in the early 1500s. Though their responses were based on different groundwork, they each detected and sought to resolve their respective crises, and in doing so aligned their political theories. In analyzing the greatness of the two monumental European figures and their abilities to catalyze change in so many people, comparisons between the writings of both begin to emerge. In particular, Luther and Machiavelli shared innovative perspectives in their analyses on legitimate rule, and in doing so they revealed the pillars on which they built their cases: through...
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...Machiavelli’s as a Humanist: Examples and the Lesson He Learn Humanities 101 Strayer University Instructor: Professor Coppelli CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance received in its presentation is acknowledged and disclosed in the paper (with both in-text citations and a Works Cited sheet at the end of the essay). I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. I also certify that this paper was prepared specifically for this course and has not been used for another course (and will not be) either in whole or substantial part. TYPE NAME AND DATE HERE: Power is defined as; a person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others; the might of a nation, political organization, or similar group and; forcefulness; effectiveness (Inc., 2011) . A humanist is defined as one who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans (Inc., 2011). Niccolo’ Machiavelli sought after the power of politics because; he was constantly explaining to individual how to get power and how to hold on to it. He thought,” humanists suppose to believe that individual only grows to maturity, both intellectually and morally through participation in life of the state’ (Machiavelli, 1531, revised 1975, 1981, 1995, 1999). Everyone has their own opinions about him, and his way of life; depending on whom you speak with. His life has some examples...
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...Life and Times of Niccolo Machiavelli May 3, 1469 a special person got brought into this world. Bartolommea di Stefano and Bernardo di Niccolo Machiavelli gave birth to the one and only Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was born in Florence Italy on the 3rd of May 1469. Niccolo was one of four kids, he had one brother and two sisters. Totto Machiavelli was his only brother, and Margherita Machiavelli and Spring Machiavelli was Niccolo sisters. In 1501 Niccolo Machiavelli marries Marietta Corsini. They went on to have seven kids, five boys and two girls. Niccolo's father, Bernardo, followed the profession of a jurist. Bernardo owned a bunch of property, and had an income putting him comfortably into the upper class. Though Niccolo's early years and education is little is known, he did show wide reading in the Latin and Italian classics. We also know Niccolo Knew the Greek language, but he most certainly did not master it. In the 1480’s Niccolo and his brother Totto went to the school of Paolo da Ronciglione. Later on we also found out we went to the University of Florence. Niccolo Machiavelli made his first public appearance during Medici’s expulsion from Florence and the Charles VIII's invasion in the year 1494. 1498 Adriani became chancellor of the republic, and Machiavelli received his new office with the rank of second chancellor and secretary. He was not totally new to the politics he was exposed to; both his parents were members...
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...governing a state. An Italian author, Niccolò Machiavelli introduced his way of thinking by writing The Prince, which is often interpreted as a way to rule, or not to rule. He uses humanism to back up his views on how governing should be handled. Of course, the book was rejected by the Catholic Church, which believed in divine authority. In The Prince, Machiavelli expresses that people are actually responsible for their own actions rather than supernatural forces. This form of humanism was the beginning of the breaking away from the dogma of the Catholic Church. According to (Hunt, Martin and Rosenwein 459), Humanism originated during The Renaissance in Italy amongst highly educated individuals attached to the personal households of prominent rulers. It is defined as “a system of...
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