Machiavelli and Erasmus Compared by GENNADY STOLYAROV II Two scholars who lived simultaneously during the Renaissance could be considered the principal representatives of two colossally different schools of thought‚ humanism and pragmatism‚ which may be termed diametrical opposites in many respects. In their theories regarding government‚ war‚ toleration‚ and the perception of the individual‚ Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) and Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) differed dramatically‚ though with
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POLY SCI 132 5/3/11 Machiavelli the Realist Machiavelli revolutionized the way the worldviews politics. However‚ when we read his writings today‚ the ideas don’t seem very revolutionary. This is because his thoughts came to embody political structure. Machiavelli is known for being the first political philosopher to apply realism to politics. Machiavelli wanted to find a solution to his dark reality. Machiavelli’s The Prince presents us with the reality of the political arena
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Machiavelli: Hero or Villain? Writing one of the most acclaimed books of all time must not have been easy; not one bit. Stating that‚ the fact that Frederick Douglas‚ among many others‚ is capable of criticizing Machiavelli and his genius work on The Prince‚ really infuriates me. Unconsciously‚ Niccolo Machiavelli became one of the first and most important philosophical leaders of all time after writing The Prince. Although The Prince is considered one of the greatest pieces of political theory
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Machiavelli was trying to gain the favor of a local leader by giving him advice. Through the use of repetition‚ historical reference‚ and persuasive aphorisms Machiavelli effectively conveyed the important skills required to be a prince. Machiavelli repeated himself numerous times throughout the piece. The purpose of this was to relay the importance of the advice given. To illustrate this point‚ Machiavelli says that if a prince wants his people to respect him‚ he must “keep his hands off the
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to be competitive and feared. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a series of works regarding the guidelines that princes were to follow in order to be successful rulers. He gives examples of both successful and unsuccessful princes and greatly details
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(with citations) The Prince is Machiavelli’s guide for ruling and conquering states. Machiavelli elaborates on various ways to acquire principalities and provides the reader with a straightforward guide on how to successfully conquer and maintain control over states. Machiavelli analyses the strengths and flaws of certain paths to conquest‚ how to maintain a hold on power and the importance of strong arms. Machiavelli sees humans as easily persuaded and simple minded. He believes that all people want
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Machiavelli and Adolf Hitler are both names synonymous with evil: killing without reason‚ fear tactics‚ cruelty. “Adolf Hitler‚ according to his own word‚ kept The Prince by his bedside‚ where it served as a constant source of inspiration…” (Downs 201). Machiavelli’s work is known as a guide to holding absolute power; Hitler took The Prince’s advice‚ but the extent is up for debate. They shared basic mutual principles‚ but certain technicalities are different. Hitler took a great amount of inspiration
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extremely theoretical and courtly. Machiavelli‚ on the other hand‚ believed in whatever means necessary to achieve power‚ and the stability that came along with it. A strong state is a secure state‚ according to Machiavelli. So‚ Machiavelli encouraged deceit and violence in a ruler‚ but only to gain a stronger control and stability as a nation. A ruler uses many tricks to get his own way‚ not all of these tricks are completely honest ones. Machiavelli uses the examples of two animals
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Unlike the idealistic ancient philosophers such as Plato‚ who discusses politics in “the context of things above politics” (Machiavelli vii)‚ the modern philosophers‚ Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes‚ take a realistic approach in explaining political actions and outcomes. Considered to be among the first social scientists‚ they both try to delve deep into the nature of mankind and its relationship to politics. In the course of doing so‚ both authors seem to believe that virtue and morality‚
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The Church accused Niccolo Machiavelli of being Satan for writing his book The Prince. Machiavelli completed The Prince in 1513. He wrote it as a gift to Lorenzo Medici‚ called the Magnificent‚ ruler of Florence. The political views Machiavelli expressed in his book went against the theology of the Church‚ specifically the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Machiavelli wrote to gain control of a principality one must be brutal. "(I)f you are a prince in possession of a newly acquired state
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