Devon Dekowski Professor Ives GVPT241, Section 105 October 13, 2017
Socrates & Machiavelli
Machiavelli’s Prince was written as a prescription for taking and maintaining power through calculated decisions and prudency. Socrates was the founder of the western world’s notion of philosophy, and a man who valued personal examination above all else. Both men had the goal of seeking knowledge but went about their task through different methods. If followed in its entirety, Machiavelli’s Price would have been an all-powerful ruler only focused on the control of his state which is not the type of ruler Socrates would be fond of. Despite this it is very possible that Socrates would be supportive of the system this prince ruled over.
The Prince in which Machiavelli believes could reunite Italy is one that is in complete control of his power and never afraid to be cruel. At the time that Machiavelli was writing The Prince, Italy was fractured and facing foreign invasions. Machiavelli’s focus was not on how the perfect world would work, rather on the practicality of uniting Italy and how to maintain power as a ruler. Machiavelli did not write on the morality of rule or the civil liberties of the people, instead he focused on what he thought would actually bring stability no matter the cost.
Machiavelli often commented on how his Prince should utilize killing in order to maintain power. For example in chapter two Machiavelli writes of killing and displacing whole towns in order to replace
Looking back at mistakes everyone around the world has made, it is easy to assume people will never make the same mistakes again. An example an a small scale would be something as simple as a bad math grade. Anyone might try to improve their grade by practicing more and making corrections to the steps they messed up on. In the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, the animals overthrow the farmer Mr. Jones. By the end, all of the animals were under the control of the boar Napoleon. Many things went wrong along the way, and only some of the time the animals reflected and learned from the mistakes they made. An understanding of the past is essential in order to adequately guard against future mistakes.
Socrates would view Machiavelli’s concept of a prince as ignorant and built upon falsehoods as seen through Machiavelli’s explanations of holding new principalities. From the very start of “The Prince” Machiavelli explains that hereditary principalities are always easier to rule, because of the fact that “it is sufficient only for the prince to maintain the customs of those who ruled before him” (Machiavelli, Ch. 2). In contrast Socrates in the “Apology” passionately fights against the status quo. He likens himself to that as a gadfly of the Athenian state stinging the large horse “great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life” (Apology, 30e). Socrates finds that a leader who grows content and maintains customs as those before him is foolish as he does not think for himself. A truly enlightened prince would question and challenge everything that comes his way. An enlightened prince would
Through his writings in The Prince, we are able to create the image of an ideal Machiavellian prince and principle. This image of the ideal principle can then be applied to Socrates and his views on how the govern should function in The Apology. Machiavelli and Socrates do have similar philosophies but there are also areas where they are likely to disagree. While Socrates would approve of some aspects of the ideal prince and the political system he would lead, he would overall not approve of a Machiavellian principle as it encourages aggressive behavior that contradicts what he considers to be just.
At first glance, Socrates and Machiavelli appear to have a lot in common. They both lived in a time of political unrest and violence. They both dealt with uncertain surroundings in their societies. Most importantly, they both tried to use philosophy to improve their society. However, there was also an important difference between them. While Socrates was a moral philosopher whose goal was to search for truth and knowledge, Machiavelli was a political philosopher whose goal was to create a lasting society with a Prince that could hold power. Because of their clashing ideals, it is unlikely that Socrates would be supportive of a Machiavellian political system or Prince, though there are specific aspects of the society that Socrates would
Machiavelli and Socrates agree on very little. While an initial reading of the two may elicit some comparisons, the goals of their respective philosophies rely on different foundations, and would therefore culminate in very different political results for society. Socrates would likely see in the Prince a selfish ruler, while Machiavelli would see in Socrates a dangerous idealist whose ideas would lead to instability and the death of the state in which these ideas were implemented. Machiavelli’s philosophy of the Prince would not satisfy Socrates because instead of focusing on right action, the Prince is encouraged to put political expediency and self-preservation above all else. In addition, the type of political system that Machiavelli’s
Machiavelli’s The Prince majorly conveys his feelings that a prince should be feared rather than loved, but that he should never do anything to be hated (The Prince, 61). However, he should utilize cruelty if it is the best interest of the state (The Prince, 60), regardless of morality. He often mentions that the ends justify the means, so the prince must do whatever is needed to keep power and control because to be morally good often leads to bad ends (The Prince, 56-57).
The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, “it is
Machiavelli considers society an immoral place. According to Machiavelli as stated in The Discourses on Livy, “for as men are, by nature, more prone to evil than to good”. The Prince is a manual for being a successful ruler in an immoral society. Often times that success is met by committing immoral acts. Machiavelli, an outsider to the inner workings of government gives what he thinks are the critical tools to being a successful ruler in modern society. “Sometimes you have to play hardball” is a saying from today that I relate to his philosophies.
Take Niccolo Machiavelli’s infamous Renaissance-era political treatise The Prince and recently deceased modern pop icon Prince, and upon first glance, they do not have much in common beyond a name. But an in-depth comparison reveals stunning parallels between Prince’s life and Machiavelli’s theories, allowing brand-new insight into their mutual focus on a number of age-old themes.
Granting United States citizenship to children of illegal aliens is one problem that needs to be solved. Many pregnant illegal immigrant women wait to cross into the United States until they are ready to deliver their child (Roleff). They are seeking to gain citizenship for their child so that the mother also will gain the right to immigrate to this country. Chain migration is another concern for immigration laws. This is when married sons or daughters, or married sisters or brothers' permits the spouses' extended families to immigrate to the country. So, for
When examining Machiavelli political ideals, it is hard to look at it without saying this is cruel and not ideal in any sense. Machiavelli is a prime example for a strong leader that pursues justice through unification and has shown to be very open-minded. Justice doesn’t just come through cruelty and strength, it also requires intelligence with careful studies. As exhibited in the prior quote, he takes in historical mistakes and success to shape his ideal. To have a culture with justice, Machiavelli pushes that “It is necessary for a prince who wish to maintain his position to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge or not to use it accordingly” (224). It is quite evident that Machiavelli is willing to use the full extent of his power without fear. Through his willingness and open-mindedness, he examines both side, good and the bad, for the benefit of his country. He believes only those that can utilize both knowledge is fit for the position of being a prince. When he says knowledge, it goes deep into the studies of history and past experiences. It is shown time and time again throughout his
Socrates and Machiavelli are both very influential philosophers and two of the great minds of their time. However, both of these men had their own separate ideas that did not completely agree with one another. Machiavelli was born into a Renaissance time period of fragmented politics, lots of bloodshed, and angry citizens while Socrates grew up in a time of political adjustment and instability in Athens. Machiavelli constructed The Prince as a political pamphlet to his friend Lorenzo de ' Medici on how a prince would successfully rule his land or kingdom most effectively. This guide consisted of ideas that involved cheating and lying to keep people happy and asserting dominance over others. The Greek philosopher Socrates, on the other
The political situation that prompted Machiavelli to write The Prince was that Italy wasn’t a unified country yet. It was a bunch of city states.
In The Morals of the Prince Machiavelli expresses his presumption on how a prince should act. He expresses that a prince should be feared, merciful, stingy, etc. He is right because if a prince is loved and too generous then people will take advantage of him and that will lead to his down fall. A prince must act appropriately to remain in power. Machiavelli gives his best ideas to keep a prince in power.
Speaking of such qualities as ruthless and mercy, Machiavelli argues that every ruler would like to be regarded as merciful and not cruel. Another thing is that often in order to retain power the ruler has to show cruelty. If the state is threatened with chaos or mess, the task of the prince is to prevent this even if it is necessary to arrange some reprisals. After all, with respect to the rest of the citizens, these executions will become a noble deed since riots and chaos would bring suffering to them (Machiavelli 24). Machiavelli provides an example of Cesare Borgia whose cruelty led to peace in the state. In that way, the