Duties of the Prince: A Look at Machiavelli and Socrates’ Political Philosophies Socrates and Niccolo Machiavelli, two of the most influential political philosophers of their respective times, have had profound impact on the functionality of government in today’s society, laying a sturdy foundation for successful democracies to come. Though they are equally impactful, their differing ideals are cause for close examination, especially when it comes to those relating to the Prince, or the ideal ruler
Essay 1: Socrates and Machiavelli Although Socrates and Niccolo Machiavelli lived in different time periods, the political climate that their philosophies were founded on were very similar. The trial of Socrates began after the Peloponnesian War when the new Spartan Tyranny took over the Athenian government. Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth and disrespecting the gods by the Spartan government. In the eyes of the Spartan government Socrates is a gadfly because of his posing of upsetting
Plato’s The Apology and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince provide two opposing views of the ideal ruler and government. The seminal works attempt to uncover the true definition of justice which becomes the basis from which they craft their vision of effective civil leadership. The two men, both influenced by the times of similar conflict and chaos in which they worked, espouse divergent beliefs regarding proper and effective authority. This difference is rooted in a fundamental incongruity between
thousands of years. Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince and Plato’s Crito and Apology this relationship and discusses their views on proper governance. Machiavelli and Socrates propose two very different sorts of rulers. Machiavelli advocates for a strong feared ruler who takes pragmatic steps to ensure unity in the state. In both Crito and Apology, Plato portrays Socrates as a “social gadfly” whose purpose to challenge the power of the state. The views of Machiavelli and Socrates are opposing views
the most well-known and notorious philosophers, Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates laid the groundwork for western political philosophy and modern day politics. Though both lived through times of political transition and war, the fragility of their politics, violence of their wars, and the leaders they lived under influenced the development of their differing ideologies about the governing of principalities. From Machiavelli’s experience, came, “The Prince,” a guidebook about the importance of self-preservation
The Prince by Socrates Over the course of the history of the earth, a multiplicity of political systems have been exhumed and explored. This is due to the ideologies of varying political thinkers, and how their lifetimes have shaped the way they view a successful government. Two famous politicians with similar upbringings include Socrates and Niccolo Machiavelli, and their visions for a strong government are outlined in Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates , along with Machiavelli’s The Prince . However
Evaluating the Differing Views between Socrates and Machiavelli Over the course of several centuries, many groups of people have developed different opinions on how a government should properly be formed and successfully run. Through personal beliefs and past experiences, political figures have been able to shape their own view of what a political system needs to prosper. Two very well-known political figures, Socrates and Niccolo Machiavelli, have utilized their past experiences to formulate a vision
Why Socrates Would Not Approve of a Machiavellian Prince or Political System Modern politics did not just spring into existence, but was built upon foundations set hundreds of years before. Foundations that have been set by Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates have proven to withstand the test of time, continuing to be influential and poignant in today’s world. Despite their prevalence, these men advocate and believe in starkly different principles in government. Machiavelli’s concept of the ruling
and framework for political philosophy, are Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Discourses. Both pieces take place during political uncertainty with surrounding societal turmoil. Each take a different approach to how these issues must be dealt with. They each have their own construct of an ideal political regime which, at times overlap, but at others do not. Machiavelli seeks to gain power and wealth while Socrates seeks to gain knowledge and justice. It is
have taken different angles the concept of morality and have applied it in many ways. This includes: Niccolò Machiavelli with The Prince (we will be looking at The Qualities of the Prince) and Plato with The Republic (we will be looking at the section The Allegory of the Cave. The Prince (1513) essentially lays out a how-to guide of how to obtain power and how to keep it; The Qualities of the Prince contains a list of qualities that one should appear to have while in power; this work will be used to