Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Sir Thomas More’s Utopia are seminal political treatise that examine in great detail the nature of virtue in humanity. While the concept of virtue and politics in both texts are crucial to both works, the way in which they are treated by the respective authors is divergent and in some circumstances completely polarised. Consideration of the environmental factors and historical influences surrounding both texts gives insight into the variation of virtue in the texts.
The society presented in Utopia is fundamentally based on a concept of universal morality and justice. This is evident in the communistic aspects of society, the means by which the welfare of all Utopians is looked after and the portrayal of religious …show more content…
At the time of writing, More was a prominent figure in a reasonably democratic and Christian society. Parallels to the socio-political landscape of his time can be draw into the idealised world of Utopia, specifically the focus on a moral and just society as a reflection of an ideal Christian society. Engeman (1982) contends that Utopia reflects an idealised Christian world before the biblical fall of man. Further, Bradshaw (1981) suggests that Utopian society may be a critique by More on the more disingenuous British Christian society of his time. Being a society where British Christians attend rituals and rights but fail to act in a Christian manner, while Utopians act in a Christian manner and fail to engage in rights and …show more content…
Machiavelli’s text is not at all concerned with a just, moral and representative society, and is far more concerned with the maintenance of a stable authoritarian state through pragmatic rule. At the time of writing the political events of Machiavelli’s native Italy were tumultuous with rapid transfer of power. This change in state from a peaceful and stable society to a violence and volatility clearly influenced the way in which political virtue is portrayed in The Prince (Hexter, 1964). The Prince is effectively a treatise on how to consolidate the Italian political environment and restore stability to the state. To Machiavelli restoring the state was imperative, and if required morality and justice were
The society presented in Utopia is fundamentally based on a concept of universal morality and justice. This is evident in the communistic aspects of society, the means by which the welfare of all Utopians is looked after and the portrayal of religious …show more content…
At the time of writing, More was a prominent figure in a reasonably democratic and Christian society. Parallels to the socio-political landscape of his time can be draw into the idealised world of Utopia, specifically the focus on a moral and just society as a reflection of an ideal Christian society. Engeman (1982) contends that Utopia reflects an idealised Christian world before the biblical fall of man. Further, Bradshaw (1981) suggests that Utopian society may be a critique by More on the more disingenuous British Christian society of his time. Being a society where British Christians attend rituals and rights but fail to act in a Christian manner, while Utopians act in a Christian manner and fail to engage in rights and …show more content…
Machiavelli’s text is not at all concerned with a just, moral and representative society, and is far more concerned with the maintenance of a stable authoritarian state through pragmatic rule. At the time of writing the political events of Machiavelli’s native Italy were tumultuous with rapid transfer of power. This change in state from a peaceful and stable society to a violence and volatility clearly influenced the way in which political virtue is portrayed in The Prince (Hexter, 1964). The Prince is effectively a treatise on how to consolidate the Italian political environment and restore stability to the state. To Machiavelli restoring the state was imperative, and if required morality and justice were