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Compare And Contrast How Machiavelli And Lao Tzu's View Of Government

875 Words4 Pages

What’s the Best Way to Rule the People?

(An analysis of the differing views of government between Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu)

Machiavelli and Lao-tzu both ruled over a group of people at one time or another and they both had extremely different views of government and on how to rule their groups as well. Machiavelli was a man that ruled during the Renaissance in Italy while Lao-tzu ruled in China. The word government is defined as the governing body of a nation, state or community. Machiavelli was an aristocrat that lived from 1469 to 1527. He also wrote The Qualities of the Prince in 1513 and he talks about what a prince needs to do to be liked and successful. Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching is the thoughts of the Tao-te Ching that were written down by Lao-tzu before he went into self-imposed exile. Three of the many differing views are that …show more content…

Machiavelli also thinks that being in war all the time is the best way for anyone to live. From an essay written about how Machiavelli governed, “‘A prince must have no other objective or other thought or take anything for his craft, except war.’ Nothing can be gained, or kept, or increased, without a fight.” (Valiunas, Algis. "Hard Guy Discourse." GoWyld. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016). Michael Ledeen wrote a book and talked a lot about the way Machiavelli talked and he says, "Machiavelli expands the earlier paradox: just as the quest for peace at any price invites war and, worse than war, defeat and domination, so good acts sometimes advance the triumph of evil, as there are circumstances when only doing evil ensures the victory of a good cause." (Valiunas, Algis. "Hard Guy Discourse." GoWyld. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016). Lao-tzu thinks that if he lets go of things that make life more confusing and complicated, it will make them more honest, prosperous, and

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Although I do believe that Machiavelli's statements are true, I do not necessarily support them or the type of ruler they aim to create. Machiavelli's ideas aimed for realism rather than idealism; the goal was to give advice to leaders that would be relevant and take into account the ability of people to make both morally good and bad decisions. Though it is undeniable that some people will try to take advantage of others if given the chance, Machiavelli's ideas were made to succeed in a world where there is always someone present who is willing to undermine those who act virtuously. In my opinion, these statements assume that people are always at their worst, and thus should not be trusted. When it comes to maintaining control over

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I think Machiavelli’s belief that a ruler should only be concerned with power and success is wrong because if you are a leader of a country you should think about what’s good for the people of your country first over what’s good for you. In the renaissance period it seems the leaders was more worried about what was good for their own pockets than what is good for the people of their country. Most leaders during the renaissance era based their success on how many wars they won or how much money they could swindle out of the poor people in their country. I believe in order to be a true leader in the country today it is important to look at what is good and beneficial for the people and what will enrich your country and make it better for the

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Niccolò Machiavelli, better known as the father of modern political theory, wrote the famous socio-political treatise The Prince, during a dark time in his career. In The Prince, there are several policies that can be found in the American government, specifically in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. Many of our American leaders have adopted similar policies as Machiavelli's book is recognized as a political manual for many leaders. Obviously, there are many common themes in The Prince and The United States government's policies, such as the idea of arming one's citizens along with how leaders are brought to power; however, there are also many differences, in particular, the distribution of power in government.

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One aspect of Machiavelli’s theory which significantly contributes to his reputation as the “philosopher of evil,” is his advice to the prince on keeping their word to the public. In chapter eighteen, Machiavelli states, “a wise ruler cannot, and should not, keep his word when doing so is to his disadvantage, and when the reasons that led him to promise to do so no longer apply” (pg. 37). To simplify, Machiavelli says princes are obligated to lie in certain circumstances. He also states that while it is unnecessary for the prince to have positive qualities, such as honesty, trustworthiness, sympathy, compassion, or be religious, it is essential for the prince to be viewed so by the public (pg. 37). While many people argue that Machiavelli’s legitimization of lying and deception in politics is immoral, I argue the opposite.

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That is to let go and follow the Tao and do only what is absolutely needed so that the people can learn and make their own rules. Lao-Tzu believes that when a governing body complicates itself with laws and be involved in the livelihood of its people too much, it would have adverse effects. This is because their actions draw the people’s attention to disheartening conditions like crime, war, and poverty. Therefore, Lao-Tzu says the Master should leads with humility by understanding that they are no different from the ones they govern and act from below the people, as to not appear overbearing while being sensitive to the people’s interest. The people follow the Master because they do not feel constricted and feels free to choose their way (Verse

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In the early sixteenth century there were two people that wrote about political power and the correct way to rule, both of these people would have great influence on their time period as well as future ones. Machiavelli was a secretary who worked for the Medicis, after the Medici family was expelled from the city he would reflect on what he thought of politics and how he thought they should be by writing The Prince, it would become a very famous book even in the present day. His viewpoint on ruling was that a ruler must do whatever they can in order to improve the state no matter what, or in his words “The ends justify the means”(The Prince). Erasmus was a Dutch intellectual and leader of the Christian humanists who wrote a treatise on political

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