Compare And Contrast Lao Tzu And Machiavelli

Robert Frost talks about a divergent road in the yellow wood, referring to two different paths that one could take. The two paths that could lead into completely different ideas of the world. Much like the views of Lao-Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli, one believes in the power of love and the other the power of an iron first. Lao-Tzu takes the role of a classic Gandhi Complex. He almost seems to view the world by separating himself from the world. The defining concept of his ideas is to not be a leader, but to be a guide. Bokenamp explains these ideas further, “Daoist religion is the Dao itself, understood in a particular way. The term dao, originally denoting a "way" or "path," came to be used in pre-Han philosophical discourse to refer to the …show more content…
Lao-Tzu had a general concern about how the people of the country would be affected by different situations. Earlier in this paper, the effect of war on a people was mentioned. Lao-Tzu disagreed that war would never have a positive outcome in the lives of the people that are involved in said war. He says specifically in his own words, “If a country is governed wisely, its inhabitants will be content. They enjoy the labor of their hands and don’t waste time inventing labor-saving machines.” (Lao-Tzu) Lao-Tzu had a profound view of a certain world peace that, if practiced correctly, could result in sound peace. Machiavelli, on the other hand, had a chip in his shoulder when it comes to the people that he would govern. He, like those who were included in The Canterbury Tales, thought that the people were a bunch of ‘yokels’. He thought they were like sheep waiting to be lead to the next best thing. Although many see this as wrong, without a leader with the same views of Machiavelli, we could possible end up destroying ourselves because we think we know what is best. Tarltron explains this theoretical stance, “The view that The Prince was simply an exercise in practical political wisdom rooted in an historical theory of imitable examples can no longer be treated as indisputable.” (Tarlton) Between the two, it would seem that neither would work in today’s socially accepted rulers …show more content…
The major concepts that can be compared are their differences on war, how a leader should treat their people, and their leadership styles. First, Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu have dueling expectations when it comes to the mechanics of war, and how a leader should react to war. Next, both Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu had strong viewpoints about the people they were governing over. The last comparison is the difference in leadership between Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli. To be completely honest, if any leaders of today took it upon themselves to adapt to these leadership examples, the world would most certainly be in