Niccolo Machiavelli And Plato - 1890 Words

Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates are widely regarded as two of history’s greatest thinkers, both of which had strong, albeit very different, ideas of what it meant for a person, or a ruler, to be good and virtuous. From Socrates’ thoughts and ideas as recorded in the Apology and Crito, it can be concluded that he would not find Machiavelli’s version of â€Å"the Prince† to be the ideal ruler, or preside over a completely prosperous society. Although, Socrates may have disagreed with many of the aspects of what Machiavelli thought the Prince should be, he would, however, be supportive of the Prince’s political system overall because of his belief that every man has a duty to follow and uphold the laws of the society in which they live.†¦show more content†¦The Prince, by Machiavelli’s standards, was a virtuous man, meaning that he was someone that possessed the traits necessary for one to be a strong ruler. For example, Machiavelli believed that the Prince should be courageous, ambitious, confident, well-learned, and also have good foresight. Simply, Machiavelli associated virtue with success, and a prince with virtue was one that would go to any length to be a successful ruler. Socrates on the other hand thought that a virtuous man was one that strived for truth and goodness in all situations, and followed the laws of the land in which he was living (Crito, 54B). Following from the difference in opinions of virtue, there is another closely related area in which Machiavelli and Socrates thoughts differ; goodness and justice. Socrates believed that a man should be good and virtuous in all aspects of his life, however, Machiavelli simply did not believe this was possible. Machiavelli states, â€Å"everyone will admit that it would be highly praiseworthy in a prince to possess all the†¦qualities that are reputed good, but as they cannot all be possessed or observed, human conditions not permitting of it, it is necessary that he should be prudent enough to avoid the scandal of those vices which would lose him the state† (Machiavelli, Chapter 15, 57). From this it can be concluded that Machiavelli believes that the Prince should not try to be good and virtuous in all respects, but only in the ones in which it benefitsShow MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavelli And Plato1693 Words   |  7 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Socrates (through Plato) have both given the world plenty of advice when it comes to governing. Both men have contributed to the debate of what a ‘prince’, or ruler, should look like. They lived in different time periods but were both surrounded by political uncertainty and fragmentation, which contributed to their views of government. Their ideals of a prince overlap in ways, but overall there are glaring differences in how they think a ‘prince’ should rule. A strong exampleRead MoreComparsion of Realism and Idealism in Niccolo Machiavelli ´s The Prince and Socrates ´ Plato ´s Republic1101 Words   |  5 PagesWhen speaking of Niccolà ² Machiavelli from The Prince and Socrates, from Plato’s Republic, there is no way to avoid the clash between realism and idealism. The contrasting of both of these states of minds, when it comes to ruling a city, per se, is fascinating because, while they are extremely different, they’re perceiving the same objective: ruling a civilization successfully. Machiavelli uses the concepts of virtà ¹, fortuna, and free-will to describe political success. On the other hand, in TheRead MoreEssay about Niccolo Machiavelli1653 Words   |  7 Pages According to legend, just before his death, Niccolo Machiavelli told his friends that had remained faithful to him up until the very end about a dream he had had. In his dream, he had seen a group of peasants, wretched and decrepit in appearance. He asked them who they were. They replied, ‘We are the saintly and the blessed; we are on our way to heaven.’ Then he saw a crowd of formally attired men, aristocratic and grim in appearance, speaking solemnly of important political matters. Again, heRead MoreMachiavelli Plato Rebuplic Prince Comparison1419 Words   |  6 PagesHaà ¾im Cihan Demirkà ¶prà ¼là ¼, 20303433 Essay Question: Compare the Characteristics of the true guardians, as described by Plato (Republic, bk VII, pp.158 #8211; 61, 484b #8211; 487e) with the characteristics of the rulers, as described by Machiavelli (The Prince, ch.15, pp. 47 #8211; 49 and ch. 18, pp.54f). What is the most important difference between the two accounts? In your view, which account is better, and why? For centuries, every ruler created their own principles and rules and somehowRead MoreSocrates And Niccolo Machiavelli1735 Words   |  7 PagesEssay 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 upsettingRead MoreThe Dimensions of Morality in The Prince and The Republic of Plato1001 Words   |  5 Pagesregards to our moral responsibility for each other. Throughout history many writers and philosophers have taken different angles the concept of morality and have applied it in many ways. This includes: Niccolà ² 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-t o guide of how to obtain power and how to keep it; The Qualities of the PrinceRead MoreSir Thomas More s Utopia And Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1454 Words   |  6 PagesSir Thomas More’s Utopia and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince reflect the ideals of the Renaissance. Their reflections of the Renaissance are similar; however, their representations of the Renaissance also have distinct differences. The Renaissance or â€Å"rebirth† was a cultural movement that accompanied the passage of Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian civic humanist, historian, diplomat, philosopher, politician, and writer during the Renaissance. He appliedRead MoreCompare And Contrast Socrates And Machiavelli1419 Words   |  6 Pagesvs. Machiavelli: The meaning of truth As philosophers, both Socrates and Niccolo Machiavelli developed theories in response to the warring political environment around them. However, the theories and principles developed by the two philosophers are vastly different in regard to the concept of truth, Socrates would hate Machiavelli’s model prince due to Machiavelli’s manipulative view of truth. While Socrates desired a state that focuses on fundamental truth and ethical decisions, Machiavelli advocatedRead MoreOryx And Crake And Political Practices911 Words   |  4 Pagespolitical theory. Atwood’s dystopian world is one that many political philosophers would compare to premises set forth by Thomas Hobbes, Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, Aristotle, and Plato. The political lens that this work can be viewed through allows for a portion of each philosophers ideas and theories to shine through. The first theory that is applicable is that of Plato. In Plato’s Republic one is introduced to a theoretical work in which the perfect just society is divided into three categories basedRead More Christianity According to St. Augustine and Machiavelli Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesmakes it more evident that Christianity persuades his views. Although it seems his writings have become quite well known and admired, not everyone fully shared his beliefs. Niccolo Machiavelli, for instance, seemed to believe in a government that was not driven by morality, but more by practicality. In, The Prince, Machiavelli stresses that the moral fibers of government should not be so soft. Like St. Augustine, his work went on to become one of the most famous books ever written about politics.