Essay
Although Aristotle and Machiavelli are both well-known philosophers of the past, they still remain great influences and hold vast relevance to politics today. This question is particularly interesting as it is mind opening to observe how the political world, more than 500 years ago, still holds a great amount of significance in contemporary politics. This essay will commence with a brief description of who Aristotle and Machiavelli were, and I will clarify their meaning of their virtues and virtue. The second section of this essay will compare virtues in their time to contemporary politics, and show the relevance they both have on present-day. The final section of the article will then conclude with the summary of the importance of …show more content…
He is most recognised for his work ‘The Prince’, a treatise which predominantly focused on how a leader like Machiavelli, could gain power and stay in power. In contrast to Aristotle’s virtue, Machiavelli’s virtu has a fundamentally diverse character, and is seen to be adaptable rather than as fixed as Aristotle’s virtue. Machiavelli’s virtu has many a meaning, but can be seen to mean somebody of physical strength, political ability, somebody who is valuable. Machiavelli asserts that virtue in itself is a part of the good life. Virtu in Machiavelli’s sense is not traditional virtu – it can be compatible with actions usually considered dishonest and corrupt – the contradictory of Aristotle’s virtue. Machiavelli stood for believing that a Prince does not have to attain control and strength, but simply create the impression that he held these qualities as to appear resilient, and prevent him from displaying weakness. Again, unlike Aristotle, he did not have to have the highest moral virtue, but should appear to have it. Both Machiavelli and Aristotle as leaders were relatively the opposite, as Machiavelli believed in using control and power to get what he required for himself. A quote from ‘The Prince’, “it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot do both”, gives details Machiavelli’s mind …show more content…
They are together very well-known philosophers, and their work will be forever renowned. To condense the main points of the essay; Aristotle and Machiavelli’s idea of virtu and virtues are contrasting to one another. Aristotle believes in his greatest aim of happiness, and that you must live a life of good qualities and features to achieve this. On the other hand, Machiavelli believes in creating a vision that may not be the truth. He asserts in having a display of strength, even if you do not possess this attribute. My findings of the relevance of Aristotle today being we take into account his belief that citizens should have a say, therefore today we have polls and voting systems in place. He can be linked to politicians portraying themselves in a better light in the media, and the belief that they want to do the best thing for you. In terms of Machiavelli, it is evident how relevant his work is today, as politicians as recent as Tony Blair possess comparable characteristics of his virtue. He takes a firm stance in doing whatever must be done in order to achieve success, which is relevant to parties today. Overall, Aristotle and Machiavelli were influential philosophers in their time and remain relevant to contemporary politics, as there are aspects of their characteristics and virtues evident in today’s
Although Aristotle and Machiavelli are both well-known philosophers of the past, they still remain great influences and hold vast relevance to politics today. This question is particularly interesting as it is mind opening to observe how the political world, more than 500 years ago, still holds a great amount of significance in contemporary politics. This essay will commence with a brief description of who Aristotle and Machiavelli were, and I will clarify their meaning of their virtues and virtue. The second section of this essay will compare virtues in their time to contemporary politics, and show the relevance they both have on present-day. The final section of the article will then conclude with the summary of the importance of …show more content…
He is most recognised for his work ‘The Prince’, a treatise which predominantly focused on how a leader like Machiavelli, could gain power and stay in power. In contrast to Aristotle’s virtue, Machiavelli’s virtu has a fundamentally diverse character, and is seen to be adaptable rather than as fixed as Aristotle’s virtue. Machiavelli’s virtu has many a meaning, but can be seen to mean somebody of physical strength, political ability, somebody who is valuable. Machiavelli asserts that virtue in itself is a part of the good life. Virtu in Machiavelli’s sense is not traditional virtu – it can be compatible with actions usually considered dishonest and corrupt – the contradictory of Aristotle’s virtue. Machiavelli stood for believing that a Prince does not have to attain control and strength, but simply create the impression that he held these qualities as to appear resilient, and prevent him from displaying weakness. Again, unlike Aristotle, he did not have to have the highest moral virtue, but should appear to have it. Both Machiavelli and Aristotle as leaders were relatively the opposite, as Machiavelli believed in using control and power to get what he required for himself. A quote from ‘The Prince’, “it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot do both”, gives details Machiavelli’s mind …show more content…
They are together very well-known philosophers, and their work will be forever renowned. To condense the main points of the essay; Aristotle and Machiavelli’s idea of virtu and virtues are contrasting to one another. Aristotle believes in his greatest aim of happiness, and that you must live a life of good qualities and features to achieve this. On the other hand, Machiavelli believes in creating a vision that may not be the truth. He asserts in having a display of strength, even if you do not possess this attribute. My findings of the relevance of Aristotle today being we take into account his belief that citizens should have a say, therefore today we have polls and voting systems in place. He can be linked to politicians portraying themselves in a better light in the media, and the belief that they want to do the best thing for you. In terms of Machiavelli, it is evident how relevant his work is today, as politicians as recent as Tony Blair possess comparable characteristics of his virtue. He takes a firm stance in doing whatever must be done in order to achieve success, which is relevant to parties today. Overall, Aristotle and Machiavelli were influential philosophers in their time and remain relevant to contemporary politics, as there are aspects of their characteristics and virtues evident in today’s