David Zinland 9/6/13 Period 2 Machiavelli Assignment In The Prince by Machiavelli‚ he lays out a recommended plan on how to manage the city for the current Prince. His plan is today considered to be manipulative‚ and diabolical. Machiavelli might be slightly manipulative but I believe that he is still an astute political mind that is seeking to regain his power. For a long time Machiavelli served as the secretary to the Second Chancery in Florence where he travelled on diplomatic missions
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Reiko Brady Intro to Political Science 8 March 2013 Idealism vs Realism Machiavelli says the prince only has to seem good‚ not be good. Plato insists that seeming is bad‚ being is good. Nicolo Machiavelli is known as being an realist who accepted that fact that humans are brutal‚ selfish‚ and fickle while Plato was an idealist who believed people could be ruled by a philosopher king who ruled over the warriors and tradesmen of his ideal republic with rationality. In his view the philosopher-king
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The Impact of Niccolò Machiavelli “It is much safer to be feared than loved.” This quotation is an example of the tough and practical political commentary of Niccolò Machiavelli— philosopher‚ statesman‚ and patriot. The son of a poor lawyer‚ Niccolò spent many hours educating himself in his father’s library. In 1498‚ he began a political career in Florence‚ Italy that would lead him to write one of the most important books in history—The The Prince (1513). Machiavelli was not a great artist or religious
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“The Prince‚” Machiavelli explores the characteristics of an ideal leader and offers practical advice on a variety of matters associated with one’s rise to power. Characteristically‚ his arguments are straightforward and rational and he frequently employs historical evidence to strengthen them. One profound hypothesis presents itself in Chapter VIII of this political discourse in which Machiavelli focuses on the necessary evil of cruelty in a position of leadership. Machiavelli quickly acknowledges
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Marcus Tullius Cicero of the Roman Empire was not only a lawyer and politician‚ but was a writer and a philosopher. With his great orations‚ and essays on matters such as old age and friendship‚ it comes as no surprise to know that such a great intellectual wrote the following quote‚ which I will break down and explain‚ as I understand: "History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time‚ it illuminates reality‚ vitalizes memory‚ provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of
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Cicero said that "justice is a habit of the soul‚ observed in the common interest‚ which gives every man his due." According to that‚ justice‚ unlike other virtues (be it liberty‚ piety‚ respect or whatever)‚ comprises only the inter-individual relations . Consequently‚ justice pursues both individual development and social good. Justice as a universal virtue which encompasses other virtues‚ is above the law. It requires not doing any harm to anyone and "using common things as common‚ private possessions
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The Renaissance is known for being a rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman ideas. Many historians believe it is filled with literature similar to previous works simply retelling the same story. Niccolò Machiavelli took various ideas from ancient political literature‚ mainly drawing from Plato’s Republic. Next‚ he set out to write his own political work known as The Prince. This piece of literature is considered a handbook for political leadership. He wanted to be in politics‚ although could not‚ thus
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A Lack of Compromise What is the significance of the Gracchi movement for Rome’s transition to Empire and for the ability/inability to maintain balance between the optimates and the populares politically? Are the brothers reformers or opportunists? Beard begins her history of the decline of the Republic by citing Sullust’s description of greed as the primary downfall of the Republic; however‚ violence - “the legacy of Romulus and Remus” (215) also was instrumental. This began with Tiberius Gracchus
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3310-Christina Hughes 10/22/13 Machiavelli: The Prince In The Prince‚ Machiavelli introduced a completely different idea of what is a stable government and his definition of what virtue is compared to previous philosophers such as Thucydides‚ Socrates‚ etc. Previous‚ classical philosophers associated virtue with the good in life. In their eyes‚ a virtuous man is an honorable man. In The Republic of Plato‚ Socrates defines virtue as doing something well and in The Prince Machiavelli defines virtue as your
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Socrates Socrates (470-399) was the son of a sculptor and a midwife‚ and served with distinction in the Athenian army during Athens’ clash with Sparta. He married‚ but had a tendency to fall in love with handsome young men‚ in particular a young soldier named Alcibiades. He was‚ by all accounts‚ short and stout‚ not given to good grooming‚ and a lover of wine and conversation. His famous student‚ Plato‚ called him “the wisest‚ and justest‚ and best of all men whom I have ever known” (Phaedo)
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