Rattling the Cages
The actions of individuals are controlled essentially by one thing, the mind of that individual. The citizens of this world are able to partake in any actions they desire. People should forget the thought of limits and restraints and everything should govern itself. Doing nothing will allow everything to harmonize with each other. These ideas come from the writer Lao-tzu in the piece called “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching.” Lao-tzu presents many idealist ways in his writing. The main focus is on the idea that people are able to govern themselves and partake in the actions they desire without restraint. As he wisely states, “Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place (206, Lao-tzu).” This advice is
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Restraint is an aspect that is required today in order to have a successful government and society. Without limiting certain elements of culture, such as military and pollution, society would slowly decay. Society should incorporate both the idealistic ways of Lao-tzu and the realistic ways of Machiavelli in restraint in order to maintain civility. The advice given by Lao-tzu is idealistic and revolves around the idea of practicing nothing. First is the idea that civilians of this world are able to govern themselves; limits and restraint must not exisit. The government would still exist, but not present itself in the daily lives of the people; the ability to carry out actions more freely would increase. The government should be able to rule and the citizens not be aware of its existence. Freedom on all levels allows true happiness to prevail. People would be content in their own ways and not want to leave the country and travel. Ultimately, by practicing nothing, all the elements of the world would simply fall into place and maintain themselves. Sadly, the outcome of pure happiness would not prevail. With no limits or laws, individuals are free to do as they please. This would not result in perfect harmony between people, but would create more chaos. Not all humans possess good morals to discourage them from violent and criminal behavior. Laws and restraints are crucial to have
Serenity and peacefulness are Lao-Tzu’s focal points throughout “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching.” By stating, “Violence, even well intentioned, / always rebounds on oneself.” he establishes his belief that war is problematic for everyone involved. (60; sec. 30). War disrupts the nature of peace which goes against everything that Lao-Tzu stands for. While having a country where war and violence are obsolete sounds ideal, it is not realistic. Leaders can only control their own people, and even then, they are at the liberty of what their people are willing to do. Lao-Tzu’s form of government only works if leaders from all around the world abide by the same principles and implement peacefulness among their own
1.) According to Lao-tzu, what must the ruler provide the people with if they are to be happy?
Tzu believed in action through inaction, Hsun Tzu linked "dull and determined effort" with "brilliant achievement" (18). Hsun Tzu also emphasized self-improvement through "conscious activity" (158), but Lao Tzu believed that the ideal human "disregards himself" (Lao Tzu, 7) and "does not want to be anything for
In The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t hesitate to recommend that a ruler employ conventionally immoral methods against his own subjects to maintain authority over them, but he does imply that whatever a ruler does should ultimately benefit the community. A Prince’s actions may be cruel, manipulative, or otherwise immoral, but they put him in the position to govern. On occasion, Machiavelli even suggests that gaining power through immoral acts is the best way to improve a community because immorality is pragmatic in a way morality is not. A strong ruler established by immoral means can then do good for his state; Machiavelli indicates that simply having power is not enough. A ruler should also use it well. Admittedly, a ruler may only want to do good for his state in an effort to secure his own position at its head, but the effect he has is no less good for the lack of selfless reasoning behind it. Machiavelli implies that a strong ruler who necessarily acquires and keeps power through immoral actions has a generally good effect on his state, which is a naturally moral byproduct of otherwise immoral deeds.
Distinguishing the differences between Lao-Tzu’s Tao-te Ching, written in the early sixth century B.C.E., and Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Qualities of the Prince, composed in 1513, can be shown through major points that both pursue opposing opinions. Whether it is their view of war, their stand on leadership, or even how they believe the ruler should be perceived, Lao-Tzu and Niccolò Machiavelli always seem to be on a different page. Through their pieces of work, one can see how their views differ. Between Lao-Tzu wanting nothing but peace and harmony and Machiavelli seeing a need for power and fear, both are on two very different ends of the spectrum.
Although Daoism believes in modesty, and Confucianism emphasizes honesty, ruling a kingdom effectively during a time of turmoil requires sovereignty. Legalism is a system of pure power that demands restraint and discipline with an emphasis on strict laws. Daoism maintains the balance of nature and embrace harmony by utilizing “The Dao.” Confucianism highlights virtues and morality wanting people to become The Superior Man. For an East Asian Kingdom plagued by famine, war, and civil unrest, Legalism would bring order to the Kingdom by a centralized and powerful government, strict laws that govern the people, and once peace ensues, a secure economy.
Lao-Tzu's "Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching" and Machiavelli's "The Qualities of a Prince" both have the ultimate goal of making better leaders. The tactics that each writer chooses to present as a guide for the leader are almost opposite of each other. Today's American government would benefit from a combination of the two extreme ideas. Lao-Tzu's laissez-faire attitude towards the economy, as well as his small scale, home defense military is appealing to a liberal person. Machiavelli's attitude towards miserliness and lower taxes, while being always prepared for war, would appeal to a conservative person. The writers are in agreement on some issues, such as taxes, but other ideas,
While Thoughts From The Tao-te Ching by Lao-Tzu and The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli are both pieces of work that serve as ground rules or guidelines for a ruler on how to rule a country, the two authors’ prepositions vary tremendously. One author takes on a susceptible viewpoint, while another takes on a much more conservative outlook. There are many factors as to why they differ so much. Even though Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli both provide intricate structures as to how rulers should run their state, there are extreme differences between the two.
Perhaps in his time Lao-Tzu viewed that his interpretation of human nature was entirely possible, but as far as the twenty-first century is involved, the idea that if societies are left unattended we are able to “Trust them” (§ 75, 59) is absurd. It can be argued legitimately that Lao-Tzu’s concepts have been applied and in fact have proven to be extremely effective. For example, a capitalistic, laissez-faire approach to governing, particularly the form advocated by American Republicans. However, cases of removing regulations and adopting the leadership standards Lao-Tzu advises have been strictly applied to market economics, not to each and every facet of government.
The Tao Te Ching outlines that if people value great individuals, they become weak. Also, if people place high value on possessions, they start to steal. The Tao Te Ching also articulates that the master leads by filling the hearts of people, weakening their ambitions and toughening their determination (Lao-tzu 3). The master assists individuals to lose their knowledge and desires and creates misperception in people who believe they possess knowledge. This concept can be applied in a political conflict in the contemporary world. It is evident that individuals have overvalued possessions. Overvaluing possessions has led to the emergence of various problems that have caused political conflict.
Complied during the Warring States Period, the Daodejing is widely known as one of China’s famous philosophy literature. This text reflects the general lament of a civilization that has been worn down from war and seeks to find peace by teaching people how to live by “the Way”. From a war-torn perspective, the Daodejing deems war and government corruption as evil and traces them back to greedy and power-hungry motives. As a successor to Confucius, it still carries some of his ethics. Because of its mystical overtones, it has acquired a large variety of interpretations. Its main teaching is if a person does nothing, then peace will be restored; it is the concept of non-action or 无为。When a person does not try to interfere and allows things to
In the “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching,” it shows that Lao Tzu has a strong desire of finding peace in the country. The Tao-te Ching is written for future leaders and generations. Lao Tzu’s purpose is to bring China together in a mannerly way rather than causing chaos in the country. Lao Tzu strongly believes that a leader should be open for advices and other elements of making one self feel worthy. I believe Lao Tzu’s beliefs are certainly correct. I thought that people should coexist peacefully in the world and should be open to others. He also mentions that leaders should not be too controlling while the world governs themselves. This idea can be effective in many ways. When Lao Tzu mentions “let go of the law, and people become honest”
Niccolo’ Machiavelli, born May 3rd, 1496 in Italy, was an Italian diplomat for 14 years. He is better known for his work titled The Prince. This was a handbook created for corrupt politicians, in which the term “Machiavellian” came from, and he was also known as the “father of modern political theory” (Biography.com Editors). He served as a diplomat while the Medici family was in exile; however, when they returned, Machiavelli lost his position. He was thought to be part of a conspiracy to overthrow the Medici family, in turn, they imprisoned him and banished him from the city. This is the time when Machiavelli wrote The Prince, the handbook for politicians. He was also known for his plays and poems. One of his most famous plays was called Mandragola. He passed away on June 21st, 1527.
Although written nearly two centuries apart, The Republic by Plato and The Prince by Machiavelli offer important views on political philosophies of rulers. Plato writes of a perfect society where status as ruler is naturally selected through innate abilities. These abilities are used to sustain the society, better it, and preserve it. Machiavelli writes of a society where anyone can be a prince; which for our purposes is a synonym for ruler, if they follow his instructions. These instructions are to ensure a new ruler can take control of new lands and maintain order in them for the sake of conquering and expanding power.
Though simple in manner and disposition, the notion of action is often far more intricate and complex than many would perceive it. Ranging from engagement in national violence or the following of nonviolent beliefs, to the extent of choosing not to perform at all, action is capable of taking countless forms throughout the world even if society is oblivious to its existence. After reading the various texts that were explored during the semester course, the theme of action appears frequently throughout the collection of religious and philosophical subject matter. Although prevalent in these selected texts, the theme is widely diverse in the text’s approach to either the ideology of action, how the characters in the text exemplify action, or another means to answering the question, “how should one act?” To illustrate this notion, the use of action was examined as it pertained to the texts The Bhagavad Gita, The Trial and Death of Socrates, and the Daodejing. As it was portrayed in The Bhagavad Gita, action was discussed through the perspective of one’s duty or obligation to act. In The Trial and Death of Socrates, action was shown on the principle of supporting one’s own beliefs. Regarding the ideologies of the Taoist philosophy and tradition, the Daodejing touches on how one’s actions may be interpreted or made sense of in a different context of action.