Socrates Vs Machiavelli - 2003 Words

Socrates VS Machiavelli The debate on how people should rule has been going on since the dawn of time. Many agree and many disagree but they all agree that we should have a ruling force of some kind but what and how much has been very controversial. Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates were two very important and revolutionary political philosophers for their time. Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince and the Discourses† outlines Machiavelli’s ideal prince and what a prince should do in power. Plato writes about the trial and death of Socrates and what he says about how people are supposed to act as well as how society should be changed. Socrates if he read Machiavelli’s concept of an†¦show more content†¦He talks about the importance of war in part because he is writing this in a time of political fragmentation. He says many things about war including that you should rely on your own army not hire mercenaries or militia because they will not have the devot ion to your cause like your own people do. Also, that war is important and being a strong military power is paramount to keep power, although he also says its important so seem faithful merciful and sincere he says you do not have to be whatsoever even that it is necessary and okay to act against these things even if it is cruel and violent. He talks about the fact that when you rule you should start out from a position of mistrust because people take advantage of that. He also believes that you sometimes must do evil in order to get what you desire this includes violence which he advocates for but he does think there is such thing as too much violence which is not ideal. One of the most notable points he also makes about a Prince is that he says that it is better to be feared by your people than loved â€Å"one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved,† (Prince, 60) he goes onto say that he must avoid hatred at all costs even if feared. Machiavelli’s prince must separate statecraft from soul craft which means that your personal feelings may not get in the way of your leadership. His argument though sharply, contrasts Socrates’Show MoreRelatedSocrates Vs Machiavelli Essay875 Words   |  4 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. 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