In comparing and contrasting the governmental philosophies of the great thinkers Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli‚ I have found a pleasant mix of both of their ideas would be the best for America today. Lao-Tzu’s laisse-faire attitude towards the economy‚ as well as his small scale military is appealing to my liberal side‚ while Machiavelli’s attitude towards miserliness which causes low taxes appeals to the right wing. These great thinkers contradict the popular saying "all great thinkers think alike." They
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Lao Tzu once said‚ “He who gains victory over other men is strong‚ but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.” I believe this means that the most powerful person is one who understands and has control over themselves. Richard Wright‚ in his autobiography Black Boy‚ and the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel‚ The Great Gatsby both lend themselves in portraying the truth of this quote. This quote can be interpreted as saying that one who understands and has control over
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Idara Johnson Buddhism and Daoism are both religions of the Chinese people. These are two of many religions of the massive world we live in. each of them are distinctive‚ but greatly influenced the lives of their followers and the society in which the belief systems are practiced. Buddhists follow the Four Noble Truths and the Taoists follow the Four Major Taoist Principles. Buddhism and Taoism both have four “laws” they use as a guide for their time on earth; The Four Noble
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Compare Lao Tzu’s and Machiavelli’s view of “the people”. How does each author’s conceptualization of “the people” affect what kind of government they support? Life experience‚ culture‚ language‚ time of living and many other factors affected Lao Tzu’s and Niccolò Machiavelli’s views on how an ideal leader ought to govern a country. These views‚ expressed in their texts‚ reflected on how these writers perceived the fellow men. Lao Tzu is a Chinese philosopher and founder of Daoism. He is the
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Feared‚ but Not Despised Two leaders by the names of Lao Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli had two opinions on how one should lead their people. To be a leader‚ one must guide in the way they think is the best way to live. As humans‚ love and fear is something that surrounds us in our day to day life. Some‚ like Lao Tzu prefer to show love and to be loved‚ while some‚ like Niccolo Machiavelli‚ have the preference to be feared. To be loved means to be cherished‚ and that was Lao Tzu’s goal as a leader. To
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)Compare Lao-tzu’s view of government with of Machiavelli in the next selection. Consider what seem to be the ultimate purposes of government‚ what seem to the obligations of the leader to the people being led‚ and what seems to be the main work of the state. What comparisons can you make between Lao-tzu’s Master and Machiavelli’s Prince. Summary: The writings of Machiavelli and Lao Tzu indicate that they would disagree most strongly on the concept of how a government should run. Machiavelli
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Daoism Paper Daoism is a philosophical theory developed by Lao-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events. There are some images that come to mind when one thinks of Daoism‚ such as simplicity‚ nature‚ and harmony. When I think of Daoism I think of Winnie the pooh‚ Ying Yang‚ and the painting of the 3 sages. These images are the epitome of Daoism‚ and replicates what Daoism is all about. Ying Yang is a universal symbol of harmony. Ying Yang is
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Is Government Good or Bad? “In Discussion: Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli’s view on Government” “The Master leads by emptying people’s mind and filling their cores‚ by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve. He helps people lose everything they know‚ everything they desire‚ and creates confusion in those who think that they know.” (Page 19). This passage supports a number of readings. All of them centered on government. The definition of government is the organization‚ machinery‚ or agency
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Lao-Tzu‚ Machiavelli‚ and the American Government Lao-Tzu’s "Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching" and Machiavelli’s "The Qualities of a Prince" both have the ultimate goal of making better leaders. The tactics that each writer chooses to present as a guide for the leader are almost opposite of each other. Today’s American government would benefit from a combination of the two extreme ideas. Lao-Tzu’s laissez-faire attitude towards the economy‚ as well as his small scale‚ home defense military is
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Discussion Questions 4 1.) According to Lao-tzu‚ what must the ruler provide the people with if they are to be happy? “Try to make people happy‚ and you lay the groundwork for misery.” According to Lao-tzu‚ in order to make the people happy‚ the ruler must stop insisting that they find happiness. In verse 66‚ Lao-tzu describes‚ “All streams flow to the sea.” By saying this‚ he is describing that a government must take a position underneath its people in order to ensure their happiness. The government
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