Essays on Machiavelli

Justice is something which underlies our own society – without it, indeed, some people posit that there can be no such thing as society. While many people state that justice is the same thing as the law, with Plato being the most visible proponent of this theory, others, such as Socrates, hold the two to be very different things. As we shall see below, while Socrates and Plato disagree on whether or not justice and law are the same, they both agree when it comes to addressing the role that justice takes in internal adherence to the values of the ...

History is a source of knowledge. It is an exceptional chance to learn from someone’s experience, which is especially important when in to comes to studying leadership. World-famous intellectuals, like Galileo, Machiavelli, Charles Darwin and Karl Marx are the quintessence of unconditional leadership, as their innovative contributions to science, politics and economics made a significant impact on the course of history. Niccolo Machiavelli, a 16th century Italian diplomat and political thinker, wrote a revolutionary “The Prince” political treatise. Between the years 1498 and 1512 he served as a political analyst and a diplomat in Florence. That period is ...

Abstract

It is well-known fact that people in the US are watched, listened and even recorded against their notice and surely, will. It is also known, that all these undemocratic actions are performed in the name of security. The United States of America is not always related to an advanced technology, high-quality of education and excellent art venues, and Hollywood, sadly, the term “police state” often pop-ups and is being closely affiliated with the America. George J Bush introduced and implemented Patriotic act shortly after September terrorist attacks (2001), however, Barack Obama kept his legacy and Edward Snowdens’ famous leaks ...

For Augustine of Hippo, politics were to be done in accordance to virtue so as to fulfill God’s plan. As such, he believes in a theory of just war, as nations may be intervened and subdued for their own good and that of their citizens. It is only through virtue and love that politicians should act, and their international relations should be guided by these positive sentiments. This would include the conversion of heretics and anti-Christians, even if through the use of force and confiscation of goods. As one can see, the morality in this theory is largely ...

English 332

Happiness is one of the most sought, but yet one of the most elusive humankind’s wishes. The greatest thinkers in history have all touched the idea of the happiness, and possibly how to attain it. Many Buddhists will avoid any activity that causes pleasure, since they believe that positive physical sensations distract the brain from achieving meaningful moral clarity. In the Western world, the Utilitarian theory that happiness derives from the most amount of pleasure minus the least amount of pain, has really taken off in the last 50 years (with advertising suggesting that instant and temporary satisfaction ...

Machiavelli primarily wrote The Prince to serve as a blueprint for rulers or leaders of his time. The book illustrates concepts and ideas that are practical and less idealistic. In the book, Machiavelli provides numerous ideas about leadership and how the prince ought to behave and treat their subjects (Cronin and Genovese, 2015, 99). This paper examines the reasons why Machiavelli suggested that the prince must always learn how not to be good. Primarily, Machiavelli does not suggest that the prince should always avoid doing what is good. However, he implies that where necessary, they should be willing and ...

Abstract

The demise of the Soviet Union has been a major cause of controversies on the relevancy of NATO in the contemporary world. Many of these controversies are informed by a superficial understanding of its roles in light of the emergence of the US as a world superpower. Admittedly, the role of NATO has been pivotal in restoring order and tranquility in Europe and Western bloc. NATO’s military interventions in places such as Afghanistan and Syria have been crucial in restoring order in the world. With its revised rules that include global war on terrorism, and drug trafficking, it ...

Abstract

The demise of the Soviet Union has been a major cause of controversies on the relevancy of NATO in the contemporary world. Many of these controversies are informed by a superficial understanding of its roles in light of the emergence of the US as a world superpower. Admittedly, the role of NATO has been pivotal in restoring order and tranquility in Europe and Western bloc. NATO’s military interventions in places such as Afghanistan and Syria have been crucial in restoring order in the world. With its revised rules that include global war on terrorism, and drug trafficking, it ...

Introduction

It’s called a fugue state. A fugue state is characterized by a complete removal from, or interruption of, a person’s identity and a personal history. A fugue state is not always permanent, but during the episode, a person can completely forget who they are, and can assume a completely new identity for themselves. Usually, the fugue state isn’t even diagnosed until a person can recall their identity after the fugue state has ended (Costandi). This is a perfect metaphor for Death Fugue, a novel by Sheng Keyi. In her novel, she explores the events related to ...

Since time immemorial, leaders from developing countries have been made attempts to curb instances of revolution. Protests and demonstrations have been condemned by the ruling parties to avoid the conflict of interest. According to JF. Kennedy, “those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. At times, the public has engaged in peaceful demonstrations by they later get impatient as the government in charge remains unwilling to hear their pledges. In such situations, it is likely that the public will confront the authority with force or use of violence, and the emergence of an uprising will come ...

The two most influential and widely-acknowledged philosophical minds that have reformed the social theories of political strategy, social protection, and nuances of human nature, are Nicollo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Both these eminent philosophers worked on the social contract theory to define how the ideal state should function and succeed in its ventures under the rule of a sovereign leader . However, there are differences in the two theories, in terms of the clarity and description of the exact nature of roles and responsibilities of the sovereign ruler (Smith," Introduction to Political Philosophy.Lecture 12 - The Sovereign State: Hobbes, Leviathan"). ...

The novella by Von Kleist, titled “Michael Kohlhaas” was first published in 1810. In the book, the man Kohlhaas who was a horse merchant at the time is subjected towards a number of injustices by the government. His horses are taken away from him, and his wife is beaten and succumbs to her injuries. Attempts by Kohlhaas to use the legal system to get him justice are futile since he is dealing with politicians who are powerful in the state. He later resolves to violence in which he terrorizes the Junker together with an army he had managed to ...

Question 3.

The period between the years from 500 to 1400 – 1500 is traditionally called the Middle Ages. The term was used for the first time by the scholars in the 15th century to mark the period between the fall of the Western part of the Roman Empire and their time. Nevertheless that the Middle Ages were considered as a time of superstition, ignorance and social oppression now they are appreciated as a time of reforms of political, economic, social and cultural life. The Roman imperial traditions were replaced by the traditions of the Germanic people and kingdoms were established, new ...

Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian political philosopher. He was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy. The removal of the Medici family from power made Machiavelli reflect on the political future of Italy and drove him to write The Prince. The Prince was written by Machiavelli as a way to return the favor of Lorenzo de’ Medici who was the governor of Florence (Machiavelli, N. 1998). Machiavelli dedicated The Prince to Medici who did not return the favors Machiavelli was seeking. Machiavelli went on to write other political books like Discourses, The Art of War and The Mandrake. What makes ...

(Teacher)

“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.” Anne Bradstreet. ("Anne Bradstreet") Anne Bradstreet was a puritan and a poet whose father and husband were part of the local government in the early year of the Massachusetts Colony. Her quote is a direct result of her experiences with politics during that time period of early American Colonial Puritan life. Her perspective on the most important factors involved in how politics worked is also reflected in a few of her poems. However, the statement above shows her perspective and understanding of ...

Introduction

Renaissance is described as a period that was marked with great cultural, social and political changes that occurred between modern and medieval ages. Historians agree that this age began in Italy before it spread to other European countries. During this period, there was an explosion of knowledge and free thinking. The cities in Italy that were hitherto independent became successful with strong institutions such as banking and universities. This paper is a critical analysis of Machiavelli’s work, The Prince, his views on the events of renaissance, religious beliefs and role of Christian Faith in political life and political ...

A man has created the state, and the state has created a citizen. As we all know, the state authority has to control its citizens. Of course, managing people is not an easy task. It does not matter whether it is one person or a large mass of people, their management is always based on the political violence, to a lesser extent, on the respect, which was generated by admiration. Authority, in fact, is the violence, but not obvious. Humans can admire the power and respect it, but without force and violence there is no any authority. One political ...

Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is a book that advises “Princes” on how to speak, behave as well as govern the perspectives and responses of certain situations. It focuses on the qualities that the Prince must uphold during war or while being praised or criticized. Machiavelli emphasizes the need for the Prince to know war since it rises or lowers leaders in the ranks (55). The advice offered by Machiavelli to the Prince focuses on how he can maintain his rank rather than promote the interests of the society. In today’s society, leaders still face the same issues ...

The stand-off between the North Korea and the US about nuclear weapon development has been ongoing for long. Several issues surround the persistent threats by North Korea and its sudden interest in the development of nuclear weapons. Many parties have attempted to negotiate the end of the nuclear weapon and sale of ballistic arsenals (Forge 81-104). The efforts to denuclearize the world have been full of frustrations marred with the uncertain stalemate. At some points, there have been signs of progress, but all seem to be in vain after certain periods. It is important for the world powers to ...

Totalitarian political system is based on the unlimited authority and power to ‘rule’ every dimension of the social and even private life of the individuals, which is in direct contrast of democracy. Such governments maintain their rule by regulating a comprehensive propaganda campaign that is communicated through the television channels and print controlled by the state. Public at large is the major party that has to go through the tyrannical control of the state over economy, media, surveillance, and freedom of speech and thought. The use of terror is common and widespread in totalitarian states, to keep the opinion ...

Introduction

Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau, and Malcolm X assisted in shaping the current American society that is made of the blacks and whites. For Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, they seemed to be preaching two opposing sides of politics of the blacks. Martin called upon nonviolent ways of resisting the white domination while Malcolm insisted on any available means that were necessary for bringing the liberation to the black community. As a result, Malcolm has always been misrepresented as ‘black Klu Klux Klan’ that was a group which consisted of racial extremists. Henry David Thoreau, on ...

“ He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil (Machiavelli 71).” Machiavelli talks about survival of the strongest, who must do anything to stay in power and not worry about being just or good. Machiavelli’s. The Prince’ is a treatise that talks about political philosophy, political power, the qualities of a leader and the actions that he must take in order to ...

Considering the enormous influence of the works of Machiavelli and Hobbes on the development of political philosophy, it is possible to discover certain parallels between the works of these two famous activists. Just like the famous Italian enlightener was interested in the history of Ancient Rome with a view to analyzing those military and political deeds of great people who deserve imitating, and which was depicted by Niccolò in the Prince and the Discourses on Livy, Hobbes also seemed to be interested in ancient history (Machiavelli, 1988). The philosophies of Machiavelli and Hobbes are also united by the common ...

Abstract

The essay reports on research about the shift of the role of human resources (HR) that is rooted in the transformation of personnel administration departments into the human resources departments that have become strategic partners of organization contributing to its performance and helping to achieve excellence. The essay also offers a brief overview of HR history, starting from the ancient China and ending up with the 1920s when the term ‘personnel administration’ appeared. The historical background is very resourceful in understanding the reasons for the above-mentioned transformation. The essay highlights the change in functions that have current human resources ...

While Machiavelli wrote many different works, ranging from plays and biographies to histories, and was deeply involved in Florentine politics, he is certainly best known for his greatest work, The Prince. In fact, it is from this work and this author that we get the term "Machiavelli and," which describes a person or situation that is cunning, deceitful and (most of all) expedient. This essay will examine the relationship between the concepts expressed in The Prince and the character of Tony Soprano in television's The Sopranos. It will be demonstrated below that on some occasions Tony Soprano (as a ...

In his book called the Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli deals with a wide spectrum of issues, including the interaction of government and authority, military affairs, qualities that should be prescribed to true rulers, historical perspectives of Italy's development, the issues of politics and morale, etc. All the author's reflections, arguments and conclusions constitute a unified logical sequence representing coherent stages of the construction of a durable and powerful state. With that, the state should be headed by a wise and brave ruler - a prince. In his book, Niccolo created a collective image of a ruler. In the author's opinion, ...

1. The change, from the point of view of Machiavelli , has a close relation to the danger that agrees with the three principles of a successful change management. First of all, the change is not an overnight step, but a process itself. The change is a series of steps, events where there is the establishment which represents the current status of the situation and the liberals or revolutionaries which represents the interest to change his current status. Each side has sponsors that support one option or other by their interest. The change brings a natural resistance from the establishment ...

Part I: Machiavelli, Rousseau and Nietzsche – A Critical Review

The three philosophical treatises, The Prince (Machiavelli), Lawgiver (Rousseau) and Sovereign Individual (Nietzsche) seem to define the role and position of the topmost leader of the society and how various classes of authority devolves from such a leader. The different philosophers seem to define their view of how these leaders must acquire their power, use it and maintain law and order through the delegation of power and authority and controlling these subordinates through systems of responsibility and accountability. However, Machiavelli’s Prince seems to be somewhat different and distinct from Rosseau’s Lawgiver and Nietzsche’s Sovereign Individual. This ...

Question 1

Nowherelandians can utilize the concepts proposed by Locke, Marx, and Plato to establish an ideal state that represents and serves the will of the people. Initially, the Nowherelandians should struggle to establish a democratic state that fosters Liberty, Equality, and Justice. Locke noted that the government represented the will of the citizens, which means that it is obliged to serve and focus on satisfying demands and desires of “the governed.” In this respect, the government should always seek the consent of the citizens before endorsing any governing policy. I advise the Nowherelandians to establish a state in which citizens assumes ...

1. Where do you find that Machiavelli and Hobbes coincide, and where do you find that they differ, in their accounts of human nature?

Hobbes’ and Machiavelli’s views often overlap on their understanding of human nature. One relevant fact to that is this essay questions inquires about the differences of the two thinkers. Both of them had views of human nature that agreed on some points but disagreed on others. Hobbes had one many characterize as a negative view on human nature, that the natural state of affairs for a person is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” In comparison, Machiavelli was perhaps advocating for such an individual in order to ursurp political power.

Hobbe’s Leviathan is named after a sea monster in ...

Niccolo Machiavelli, a politician, Italian historian, and a philosopher was born in Florence, Italy on May 3, 1469. He had little or no interest in philosophy as he believed that the role of philosophy in human analysis must be lesser than the real-world political apprehensions. His short book “The Prince” considered to be his masterpiece gained wide readership as the book contained some strong and real-world perceptions into human behavior and it also portrayed the negative view of human nature. The Prince is a mild disapproval that the rulers should be polite and principled in their character.

Machiavelli’s political philosophy intimately ...

Why is the Renaissance considered the Age of Rebirth?

OR, if you are so inclined, watch this video and, combined with the material you read from the text, consider Machiavelli's Prince and tackle one of the following prompts.

1. Consider legality vs. morality as expressed by Machiavelli and any other ideologies present at the time, discuss how it is similar or different than political/legal practice today, and explore any legal issues/themes that strike your interests about it or related works.

2. Consider the impact that Machiavelli's theories and their practice might have and/or did have on the economic climate, explore the economic pros and cons of a ...

- There were a number of similarities between China under the Han and the Roman Empire. Why do you think that was so? Was it simply historical accident? Do those aspects of empire imply some sort of empire-building process common throughout the world? Why or why not?

China and Rome were both land empires, based mostly on agriculture, as were all other empires before the industrial revolution over the last 200 years. These two empires developed along similar lines even though they had no contact with each other, given the extremely slow communications and travel times of that era. They all seem to have had very similar caste systems, with slaves and peasants at the bottom, an aristocratic-military caste and an emperor or king at the apex (Adler and Pouwels, 2008, pp. 169-70). Both the Han and the Roman emperors also claimed to rule by divine ...

Introduction

It is the nature of human beings to live in communities which are commanded by leaders. Usually people endeavor to become great and admired leaders to their subjects. Scholars have attempted to suggest how to become good leaders in each era of existence. Machiavelli is among the educated people who have put forward suggestions on how to become great leaders. He suggested the methods of becoming a powerful prince through many illustrations and a narration of Kings who lived in the past. Lao Tzu on the other hand suggested different methods of becoming great leaders. The writings of the two scholars ...

In 1532, one of the literary masterpieces of all time was published under the authorship of a Florentine philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli . The novel bore a Latin title Il Principe, translated to English as, The Prince. The book contains political treatise and advice to a certain political leader, believed to be Cesare Borgia, an Italian ruler whom Machiavelli served as an adviser . The book contains several political analyses particularly relating to leadership and the kind of leader that is necessary to lead a country to victory. In today’s contemporary political system, leaders are being badly criticized for failing to deliver what ...

Literature is one of the most useful sources of knowledge for human nature. The history of literature contains several seminal works that aid in the transformation of the human psyche and worldview. Readings like Machiavelli’s The Prince, George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. are very famous works that have got immortalized in the minds of the avid readers all across the world. I value the readings because it gives me a sense of how others in the world analyze things and helps me to be more open-minded to new ...

CI 8490

The Relationship between the Text Features and Comprehension

Saeed Alzahrani May,20, 2015 Introduction Text comprehension is defined as “demonstrating understanding of the text at the mental model level by generating inferences, interpreting, paraphrasing, translating, explaining, or summarizing information” (Otero, Lecentsn, & Graesser, 2014: p. 17). There are various studies based on the cognitive science illustrating the understanding of text in relation to its comprehension for children (Chambres, Izaute&Marescaux, 2002). Such studies develop theoretical models for the comprehension process and test the predictions of the model by collecting empirical data from readers (Readence, J & Barone, 1997). Growth in reading is considered one of ...

Shakespeare’s Richard II can be seen as a lesson in Machiavellian politics, and Henry IV, Part 1 as a coming of age story. However, they also both explore issues involving masculine and feminine character traits, and how they were defined by society at the time. Henry Bolingbroke is largely defined by his positive masculine characteristics, which lead him to victory. Richard is portrayed as feminine, weak, and irresponsible ruler, which leads to his downfall. Richard is a man of words, full of indecision, and paralyzed by doubts and fears. Henry, on the other hand, is a masculine man of action. In the ...

Discussion Assignment

Question.1. Kautilya states that “those in severe opposition may be quelled by punishment in secret”. What ethical principles, if any, can justify punishment in secret? Answer. The ideology behind a ruler’s successful management against his opposition can be explained in terms of Kautilya’s work, “Arthshastra”. Thus Kautilya states that a ruler can manage his opposition by either punishing them in isolation or by projecting them as offenders to the prince’s supporting natives. Kautilya’s reasoning behind above stated action can be explained as following: The prince should not punish the traitors or opposition in openly, this ...

The gospel of the self-regulating market dominates political and economic debates of our time. The belief that government should play a limited role in the economy has a long history that dates back to the days of Adam Smith, the father of homo economicus. This paper argues that despite contrary opinions from scholars and policymakers, the state has always played an active role in the economy evidenced by the work of classical political economy theorists. At the center of the argument is Karl Polanyi’s defense of the state in The Great Transformation. The paper further explores Adam Smith, Machiavelli, Rousseau ...

Reflection 1: Reflect on the relevance for management practice of Lukes’ three dimensional model of power. Illustrate your points with suitable examples. According to Lukes, there are three fundamental faces of power. Each face of power offer something different to the individual who is trying to attain that power, and people in different positions use the different faces of power differently to ensure that they retain control within their own personal sphere. The first face of power is what happens when someone wins an argument. For instance, if a parent wins an argument against their child, they have the ...

- General Description of Renaissance Believed to have originated in Italy in the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance is a cultural movement between the 14th and 17th centuries that spread across Europe and affected the Europeans’ intellectual, political, and cultural life. Many Historians believed that the Renaissance served as the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era, stating that it marked the beginning of the early Modern period. Some questioned the validity of it being an actual advancement and instead may just have been a nostalgic turn for the classical period characterized by the resurgence of interest in ...

These two speeches are the most memorable speeches given. They might seem different but as I read through the two speeches they sounded similar, despite the fact that they were given two thousand years apart. The similarities are featured in length, content and in the situations whereby the two speeches are given. In Pericles' speech appreciation of the ancestors, the people who died for the country, the survivors, and their families served as the purpose for his speech. The speech also reminded the readers and the listeners of the benefits of having democracy as well as the goodness of ...

[Subject/Course] [Submission Date]

Leadership can be defined as the distinctive style of an individual through which he influences other people so that they can achieve something (a goal, target, aim etc.). Leaders are able to influence others by showing special qualities like morality, values, ethical principles, knowledge, skill and character. In this paper, the views of two great philosophers, Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli, will be discussed regarding the leadership required during war times. Lao-Tzu was a renowned Chinese philosopher whereas Machiavelli was an exceptional Italian writer and statesman. Both these famous personalities have presented great ideas in about running a country and ...

The text, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the war that took place in Greek and that involved numerous instances of conflict and cooperation between the feuding political units. This paper seeks to examine the frequent conflicts and cooperation between the political units, the causes of such occurrences; the principal actors and the consequences of this phenomenon. In the second part of the paper, we make an assessment of both the causes and the conduct of the War and make the case whether the same is applicable to the 21st century or not. The ...

Justice and Civic Engagement

Understanding what justice is and how it is applied in matters where social engagements are involved could be seen to have a distinct impact on how a society improves and grows accordingly. It could be noticed through time that when it comes to such sense of social engagement, the desire to become more intensive in the way one relates to the other and how a person becomes attached to a particular social thought as he mingles with others is what is being observed and analyzed by several social analysts noted through their contributions in understanding the real worth of social connection and development. ...

In the landmark novel The Lord of the Flies, author William Golding creates an almost mythic isolated island upon which he plane wrecks his main characters. These characters-- all English schoolboys-- have no adult supervision, and are left to their own devices on the island. At first, things are as one would expect them to be: the children play on the beach and explore the island. However, as survival instincts begin to affect the boys, the dynamic of the island changes. Suddenly, there is a divide between the children, throwing them headlong into a conflict between those who would let their ...

"The Prince" is one of the most important works of philosophy, which Machiavelli created in 1513. It was published only in 1532 - after the death of the author. Since it was written by Italian writer it is necessary to pay attention to what political situation in Italy in those days. Italy at that time was divided to few small states. In these states, have preserved the outward forms of the republican system, but in fact the city-states were ruled by representatives of a noble families. Italy has become a kind of arena of wars, which was constantly attacked by ...

It is sometimes thought that Machiavelli disliked idealist positions such as those expressed by Plato or Aristotle when studying politics. Indeed, he actually proposed an approach to the study of politics that stood far away from what the classic philosophers formulated. This paper will expose the ideas expressed by the classical philosophers and see how Machiavelli differed from them and even criticized their approach. Most of western political philosophy is built on ideas that have been under development for thousands of years. Two of the most discussed authors are the Greek classics who gave the first notions of ...

In "The Prince", Machiavelli discusses various political and military figures. How does the Cid from "The Poem of the Cid" compare with some of these specific men? There are some similarities and differences when it comes to the readings of the poem of Cid and The Prince of Machiavelli. The readings of Machiavelli in the prince has discussed a lot regarding the various political and military figures the poem of Cid it can be observed that it has some similarities with the prince of Machiavelli. He talks about the political system through the eyes of the prince. According to ...

Introduction

Realism is the attitude and at times the tendecy of ccepting things as they are, having the ability to prepare to deal with it accordingly. Liberalism, on the other hand, is a worldview founded on the ideas of equality and liberty. Any student or any person interested in international relations should study the basic foundations of it. Among the most prevalent theories in international relations are realism and liberalism. Realism claims to rely upon a tradition of thought that is ancient and includes writers such as Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli Rousseau (2006). The early realism can be as a reaction against the ...

1 Renaissance which also means’ the rebirth ‘was a European social movement that occurred in the 15th century. Middle age is used to refer to a specific time frame and, therefore, is not the same as renaissance that gives a description to a cultural movement. Renaissance was characterized with an urban society that included the growth of cities and development of cultural and economic centers. Middle age education comprised of Scholasticism, which was a doctrine that stated those in authority, should be accepted by the people without raising any questions. Those in authority included Aristotle and the bible as most of the scholars ...

The paper describes the Byzantine Empire at the time of Justinian; in relation to it, the paper explores the powers reflection in law, architecture, and art, it describes Western Europe under the rule of Charlemagne (747-814). In the Early Medieval times when the focal power demonstrated ineffectual and was not ready to secure the subjects, feudalism, created with subjects (vassals) swearing constancy to capable master for insurance in return for military administration. As the administration weakened further, the masters picked up control of more grounds and more men ready to battle for them; thus, their energy developed. Manorialism created ...

Niccolo Machiavelli’s book “The Prince” is one of the most popular books that has a significant value even today. The book refers Lorenzo Medici as the prince. Written in the year 1514 and published in 1532, “The Prince” focuses on how a prince can set up and maintain the government in the strongest way possible (Machiavelli, 2009, p. 55). Machiavelli believes that a prince must standby the moral principles for the continued existence of power. In the book, Machiavelli describes about the measures taken by a leader to deal with the rise and fall of kingdoms. The author’s major focus is ...

Aristotle and Machiavelli have been described as political scientists. The two men have differences in terms of philosophies in relation to the vision they had on the political system. Each man was a product of his own time. Aristotle rose from Greece in the Golden Age while Machiavelli sprouts from Medieval Europe. Their cases gave advice and ideas hold weight in modern political aspects considering their philosophies and outlooks which differ. According to Aristotle, he perceived that the main goal of politics was to deliver a “good life” to the society. Machiavelli’s goal shared the view that the goal ...

Question 1

Hebert Marcuse suggests that historically, philosophy has assumed the role of safeguarding the interests of freedom and reason in a world that is relatively unfree and also unreasonable. Socrates can be considered as a guardian to the interest of reason and freedom. He introduced the world to the art of critical reasoning. In many circles, he is often hailed as the father of reason and logic. In an unreasonable world where man is simply concerned with victory over his fellow man when it comes to arguments, Socrates introduced the concept of critical and careful reasoning so as to acquire genuine knowledge ...

Politics is intricately intertwined with power and influence. The juxtaposition of the desire to establish dominion over others and the need to influence the subjects creates the conundrum called politics. The modern definition of politics is inclined towards the means of gaining power and exercising the positions of governance over a state or a community. In the antiquity and the middle ages, power was concentrated to the aristocrats and monarchs. It was left out to the rich and well-of in the society. Ideally, the conception of politics as being representative of the people’s wishes was confined to the wealthy. In ...

Humanism is a theory which affirms human responsibility an ability to lead ethical lives, aspiring greater good, without supernaturalism. Humanism is a philosophical theory which focuses on giving the humans the first place in the universe in regards to their faculties and abilities. The theory is concerned with human experiences, their needs and desires. This does not involve a particular set of beliefs and doctrines but an attitude and perspective of human belief systems. Importantly, the theory of humanism focuses on the importance of the supernatural system, which is distinct from the natural world. Therefore, the theory focuses on the system of ...

There seems to be a consensus among scientist in regards to liberal democracies and the peace they seem to bring to the world. Many would say that this liberal peace is just a transitory state of things, and the perpetual peace is just an idealist fantasy. Others would hold that there have been liberal countries that go to war with each other, or that have a warlike attitude towards illiberal countries, casting doubt about their peacefulness. International Relations Professor Michael Doyle finds that the problem resides on how liberalism is conceived in the first place. This work will first find a definition of ...

What is the difference between Realism and Neorealism?

The nature of international politics has long been a subject of immense debate between scholars since time in memorial. These scholars would present their own ideology as to why states go to war and what should be the main focus of actors in terms of policy-making and the use of force. Several ideologies have come and go in terms of explaining the erratic nature of international politics with only a few considered to be one of the foundations of international relations theory. One of these founding theories is known as Realism or classical realism and like its fellow international politics theories, ...