Machiavelli And Hobbes Essay

Being the president of a powerful global influence such as the United States of America is a daunting task in itself. To further increase the pressure current president, Donald Trump, is faced with the multifaceted challenge of mending and attaining stable relationships in cooperation with both NATO as well as Russia. Fortunately for President Trump, political philosophers of the past such as Machiavelli and Hobbes have previously theorized and determined basic structures and fundamentals that may be able to assist and guide President Trump on how to handle these complex relationships during his time in office. As the figurehead of such an influential entity, it is increasingly important to be aware of the ways in which a presidential figure …show more content…
Fortunately, great thinkers from the modern political era such as Machiavelli and Hobbes have shed some insight on this said balance. Machiavelli suggest that the leader of such a country should be aware and concerned with how his attitude and personality are perceived by allies, enemies, and foreigners. Hobbes believes that the leader should represent the virtues, opinions, and desires of the nation as a collective whole. Machiavelli believes that the leader should instill fear but never hatred in others. And finally, Hobbes believes that humans innate aversion to death should be used as leverage in times of need. With these four guidelines, President Trump would be able to further secure and strengthen alliances within NATO, dissuade Russia from trying to prey on America for power, dissuade and compromise disagreements, and make the United States appear to be as strong and solid as many foreign countries believe it to be. These four guidelines may not be the whole solution to a more unified working relationship amongst Trump, NATO, and Russia, but they are at least a strong step in the right