Machiavelli s The Prince And Socrates - 2011 Words

On the heels of the Peloponnesian war, Socrates was blamed for corrupting the youth and disrespecting the Athenian gods and Athenian values. His defense or â€Å"Apology† and reaction after he was sentenced to death in â€Å"Crito† demonstrate his most basic philosophy and ideals of what a government should truly be like. Yet in a vastly different situation, Machiavelli, who lived during the renaissance of Italy experienced constant shifts of power which he wrote his book, â€Å"The Prince†. Machiavelli writes about how a leader or prince should conduct himself in order to keep and efficiently run a republic or principality. Although Socrates’ texts on the surface deal with his accusations, the texts give great insight as to how he thinks a government†¦show more content†¦18). A true prince in Machiavelli’s eyes is someone that the nobles, people, army, and neighboring states will be dependent on. To Machiavelli humans are by nature power h ungry and greedy and that as long as there is dependence on the prince whether it is due to heredity, fear, or a variety of other factors, he will remain in power. Socrates would view Machiavelli’s concept of a prince as ignorant and built upon falsehoods as seen through Machiavelli’s explanations of holding new principalities. From the very start of â€Å"The Prince† Machiavelli explains that hereditary principalities are always easier to rule, because of the fact that â€Å"it is sufficient only for the prince to maintain the customs of those who ruled before him† (Machiavelli, Ch. 2). In contrast Socrates in the â€Å"Apology† passionately fights against the status quo. He likens himself to that as a gadfly of the Athenian state stinging the large horse â€Å"great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life† (Apology, 30e). Socrates finds that a leader who grows content and maintains customs as those before him is foolish as he does not think for himself. A truly enlightened prince would question and challenge everything that comes his way . An enlightened prince wouldShow MoreRelatedMachiavelli And Socrates s Concept Of A Prince1811 Words   |  8 Pages2017 GVPT241 (0105) Soulcraft vs. Statecraft Though Machiavelli and Socrates lived in distinct states, on the heels of the Peloponnesian War in Athens to the height of the Renaissance in Florence, respectively, a few common threads bind them together. They lived in periods of uncertainty, political fragmentation, and violence, and these experiences inform and shape their beliefs about how society and government as a whole should function. Socrates responds to his precarious surroundings with an approachRead MoreThe Last Days Of Socrates And Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince And The Discourses1651 Words   |  7 PagesLast Days of Socrates, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Discourses. Both pieces take place during political uncertainty with surrounding societal turmoil. Each take a different approach to how these issues must be dealt with. They each have their own construct of an ideal political regime which, at times overlap, but at others do not. Machiavelli seeks to gain power and wealth while Socrates seeks to gain knowledge and justice. It is because of these differences that Socra tes would disapproveRead 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 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 MoreMorality Vs Machiavelli1161 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates, however, asserts the importance of morality and ethics in a ruler, and argues that soul craft is ideal for an effective leader. Socrates contends, â€Å"Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and the state† (Apology, 30b). Indeed, in opposition to Machiavelli, Socrates asserts that following one’s intuition and making decisions based on â€Å"goodness† will never lead a ruler and his state astray. Additionally, Socrates emphasizesRead MoreSocrates And Machiavelli1681 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates, in his early works, maintained a steadfast distance from involvement in politics, making a comparison or evaluation of a political system in his persona technically impossible. To claim that Socrates would or would not be supportive of any political system might then seem irresponsible, a presumptuous analysis not fitting for an academic recognizing the false equivalence between Socrates’ philosophy and Machiavelli’s political ethics. The strategy to conduct any sort of liable and validRead MoreSocrates And Machiavelli2009 Words   |  9 PagesSocrates and Machiavelli are both very influential philosophers and two of the great minds of their time. However, both of these men had their own separate ideas that did not completely agree with one another. Machiavelli was born into a Renaissance time period of fragmented politics, lots of bloodshed, and angry citizens while Socrates grew up in a time of political adjustment and instability in Athens. Machiavelli constructed The Prince as a political pamphlet to his friend Lorenzo de MediciRead More Comparing Machiavellis The Prince and Platos The Republic Essay1790 Words   |  8 PagesComparing M achiavellis The Prince and Platos The Republic  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people in history have written about ideal rulers and states and how to maintain them.   Perhaps the most talked about and compared are Machiavellis, The Prince and Platos, The Republic.   Machiavelli lived at a time when Italy was suffering from its political destruction.   The Prince, was written to describe the ways by which a leader may gain and maintain power. In Plato?s The Republic, he unravels the definition of justiceRead MoreA Brief Note On Indian Poetry After Islam Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pagestheological boundaries between the two traditions. Petrarch: Petrarch was born on July 20, 1304, in Arezzo, Tuscany. He was a classical scholar who was considered the Father of Humanism. There was a philosophy that helped spark the Renaissance. Petrarch s writing included well known odes to Laura. Laura was known as his lover. Petrarch was writing and was also used to shape the modern Italian language. He passed away at age of 69 in 1374. Classics and Humanism Petrarch became a cleric, making him eligibleRead MoreEssay about Ethical Decision Making3074 Words   |  13 Pagesnot quite say that the new is more valuable because it fits in; but its fitting in is a test of its value--a test, it is true, which can only be slowly and cautiously applied, for we are none of us infallible judges of conformity., the famous poet T. S. Elliot once said. Ethics and conformity go hand in hand; it is hard to talk about one subject without involving the other. The past two weeks of this humanities course has been centered around the relationship which exists between these two subjects