Machiavelli: Principality and Republic Among the most widely-read of the Renaissance thinkers was Niccolò Machiavelli‚ a Florentine politician who retired from public service to write at length on the skill required for successfully running the state. Impatient with abstract reflections on the way things "ought" to be‚ Machiavelli focused on the way things are‚ illustrating his own intensely practical convictions with frequent examples from the historical record. Although he shared with other humanists
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include fear‚ hatred‚ the belief that one is superior to another‚ lack of control‚ and self-destructive patterns. Within the reason category‚ there are the physical aspects of personal gain‚ and the rise and quest for power. Two great philosophers‚ Machiavelli and Francis Bacon‚ write of the destruction through man. Machiavelli’s writing of “The Qualities of the Prince‚” and Bacon’s writing “The Four Idols‚” show their views of human nature and how it can become a destructive force. The quest for power
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especially classic realists‚ also believe it can be due to the destructive tendency of human nature. In fact‚ people are viewed as narrowly selfish and ethically flawed‚ with the intent of achieving self-advantage regardless of others. As Niccolo Machiavelli well describes it in 1532‚ in The Prince‚ human nature is inherently evil. Men are always seeking for power and have very strong desires to be better than others. Thomas Hobbes brings the idea of a “state of nature” and supports this idea by arguing
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to make the perfect arrangement of organisms. These methods are all derived from previous methods‚ hence we must look at Aristotle and Linnaeus for guidance and to compare what they thought to what modern science appears to tell us regarding the relationship between organisms. Linnaeus’ simplistic system of organization is a clear advancement from the hectic system of Aristotle. To formulate a conclusion of Aristotle’s taxonomy method is in some regards quite difficult. The philosopher passed on
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healthy‚ he has a strong mind‚ may one call him happy. Aristotle was very clear on one thing: “Happiness depends on ourselves.” Aristotle preserved his belief that happiness was the central purpose of human life‚ and it should be an accomplishment that everyone should strive to. He believed that genuine happiness required the fulfillment of several conditions‚ including mental and physical strength and well being. In the Nicomachean Ethics‚ Aristotle lays his work for the future to read and learn from
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: In Book III Chapter 10‚ Aristotle begins to tell us his views on temperance or self-control. He sees temperance to be the virtue of the non-rational part of human beings. He believes that temperance is a mean concerned with pleasures‚ for it is concerned less‚ and in a different way‚ with pains (Aristotle‚ Nicomachean Ethics III. 1117B25-30). He distinguish pleasures of the soul from those of the body. Pleasures of the soul would be love of honor and of learning. Those who are concerned with those
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(How does Aristotle justify the existence of Slavery?) Aristotle was one of the greatest philosophical minds of ancient Greece. He is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy and his writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy‚ encompassing morality and aesthetics‚ logic and science‚ politics and metaphysics. Even though there were a lot of things happening during his time‚ and he wrote as much as he could before his time on this
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Comparison of Theorists Comparison of Theorists From the point where Sigmund Freud’s structuralization of the human psyche rose and fell; the Neo-Freudian theoretical perspective grew and progressed. Explicitly‚ Freud’s conceptual base of sexuality or instinctual determinants was limited. However‚ his followers took a more open and inclusive stance‚ all the while recognizing his contributions to psychology (Burger‚ 2010). Therefore‚ in order to recount the contributions that were made by a few
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Aristotle and the Tragic Hero The traditional hero stresses courage and nobility as essential traits of heroism. He lived by a code of honor and valued certain things as more important than others‚ so that he is willing to take risks and endure hardships for their sake. He is often a leader and protector of a community. The fact that the hero not only performs great deeds but performs them out of worthy principles renders his deed even more admirable. On the other hand‚ the Greek tragic hero is
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yet at the same time preserve its citizens’ natural right to be free? The ideas from Niccolo Machiavelli‚ an Italian aristocrat‚ who published "The Prince" in 1513 for a Medici prince as a guideline on how to rule a country‚ gives a conservative approach to how one should govern. Henry David Thoreau’s "Civil Disobedience" published in 1849‚ offers a liberal approach on how one should be governed. Machiavelli stresses the importance of maintaining order while Thoreau suggests reform. Although their
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