Machiavellian Folly in The Prince Essay - 1696 Words

Machiavellian Folly in The Prince In the annals of history, many individuals have contributed great works of literature, waxing philosophically on the meaning of life, death, and love. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote not on love or life, but on power: How to capture it, how to consolidate it, and how to defend it against all comers. His work has been talked about and dissected to the extent that his subject matter and methods have earned their own moniker: Machiavellian. Nonetheless, this great philosophers works did not meet with unanimous approval. His own student, Thomas Hobbes, presented a very different account of politics. This essay offers a Hobbesian critique of some of Machiavellis arguments, focusing in and around†¦show more content†¦2 Humans, according to Machiavelli, are not the morally grounded beings the Bible espouses them to be. He writes in The Prince: For one can say this generally of men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, pretenders and dissemblers, evaders of danger, eager for gain .3 Clearly, Machiavelli argues that man is precarious - a being of dubious morals and selfish desires. Hobbes agreed with this analysis, and took it one step further. According to Hobbes, all mankind has a restless and perpetual desire for power, which ceaseth only with death4. Moreover, man can never be satisfied with the power he has. Hobbes writes: ... [man] cannot assure the power and the means to live well, which he hath present, without the acquisition of more [power]. Mans first need is to provide security for himself. Past experience and reason dictate that he will do this by any means necessary - even if it means killing everyone around him. Critics argue that Hobbes and Machiavelli are too pessimistic; but they would both beg to differ. To both Hobbes and Machiavelli, Aristotelian virtue is a deception; it can never be reached. Men do not want to be good; they want to lie, they want to cheat, and they want to kill. To expect otherwise would be contrary to their hostile nature. To both Hobbes and Machiavelli, political analysis must begin by identifying the human being for what he really is - a self-interested, self-seekingShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Machiavelli And Socrates1544 Words   |  7 Pageswould 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 Prince would lead to almostRead MoreRenaissance: Impact on English Literature1723 Words   |  7 Pagescentury, leaving the Middle English of Chaucer behind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among the prose-writers the chief exponents of the Renaissance are Erasmus and Sir Thomas More. Erasmus’ Praise of Folly and Mores Utopia show how the English scholars of the time were imbued with the spirit of the classical Renaissance. Praise of Folly gives the best expression in literature of the attack that the  Oxford  reformers like Linacre, Colet and Lyly were making upon medieval system. It is like a song of victory for theRead MoreEssay about Renaissance Figures2969 Words   |  12 Pagesdismissed, and briefly imprisoned and tortured. He then retired to his country estate, where he wrote on politics. His most famous work, The Prince (1532), describes the means by which a leader may gain and maintain power. His ideal prince is an amoral and calculating tyrant capable of unifying Italy. Despite the ruthless connotation of the term Machiavellian, such works as the Discourses (1531) and the History of Florence (1532) express republican principles. Machiavelli also wrote poemsRead MoreOrganizational Behaviour Analysis28615 Words   |  115 PagesORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS: Notes and essays for the workshop to be held on 15th - 16th Novemeber 2007 at The Marriot Hotel Slough Berkshire SL3 8PT Dr. Lesley Prince, C.Psychol., AFBPsS University of Birmingham November 2007  © Dr. Lesley Prince 2007. Organisational Analysis: Notes and Essays Page i Page ii Please do not attempt to eat these notes. CONTENTS Introduction to the Workshop Topics And Themes The Nature and Scope of Organisation Theory Levels of Analysis The Metaphorical