Cesare Borgia

Having established Nicias’ motivation as being that of self-interest, one can begin to investigate how this selfish nature affects his ability to be persuasive. This becomes self-evident when one compares the ethos of Pericles in his second speech and that of Nicias in his first speech regarding the Sicilian Expedition. Both orators draw a connection between the success of the state and the success of the individual. The contrast, however, lies in the directionality in which they argue this…

In the written work “The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli the author elaborates on how a prince can only be a strong leader if he engages in duplicity. Machiavelli focused on a more realistic and immoral strategy to keep the people of his time unified, realpolitik a system based on practical rather than moral considerations. The author, Niccolo Machiavelli, goes through great depths to explain why it takes rulers who are “cruel, dishonest, duplicitous, and manipulative.” There are many great…

Niccilò Machiavelli’s political philosophy writing, The Prince, is a piece of writing that intends to teach an upcoming prince an approach of ruling that can guarantee a lasting period of power. Machiavelli states that the number one characteristic that a prince must posse that of virtue. Machiavelli defined virtue as a way that a prince acquires power over a dominion, and later goes on to add to the define by stating that “it is necessary for a prince if he wishes to maintain himself, to learn…

Machiavelli in The Prince is primarily a practical observer and diplomat analyst prescribing numerous ethical and political instructions to Cesar Borgia for pyramidical maintenance, sustenance and enhancement of political power at various stages of capturing, nurturing, preserving and augmenting power and absolute power for the prince. Hobbes’s aim in his Leviathan is similar to that of Machiavelli’s The Prince. Both are equally concerned for bringing about order out of chaotic civil war like…

A Good King If someone were to search Google for the definition of ‘a good king’ there would be links taking them to different pages of men throughout history that have earned the title of being a good king. But what made these men good kings? What characteristics or qualities earned them the title of a good king? Most people will say that it was because they were wise and discerning even in the difficult moments. Others will say that they were financially responsible able to plan ahead…

Machiavelli’s The Prince is often described as being harsh, ruthless, or unethical. These reactions are expected, for idealism, theory, and morality played no role in his intentions. His tone is amoral, however, his argument is intended to dismiss and purposefully ignore moral or ethical bias in The Prince. His analysis is essentially a “how-to” guide to obtaining and keeping power. With an approach similar to biopolitics, Machiavelli draws from trends analyzed in historical records to…

The American passion for anti-hero has ushered in a new age of film; as the contemporary era progresses, the gray area between right and wrong becomes morally hazy. Despite antisocial, hostile, or immoral behavior, the anti-hero always somehow seems morally correct to the audience or the reader. Characters who were before social pariahs have now evolved into a template for fictional protagonists. And so dawned the era of the anti-hero. Those who liberate people of moral burden reject the…

I would choose Niccoló Machiavelli to be the other student in my tutorial, Political Science: The Methods of Ruling. Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, who is best known for his work, The Prince. In this handbook, he argues that a prince or political figure needs to be cunning and ruthless in order to maintain his power. He also claims that it is better for a prince to be feared than loved by his people. Morally, I disagree with these assertions and a plethora of other principles that he…

The Renaissance is more modern because of its logic and philosophical wisdom. As I learned about the Renaissance I would’ve thought of it being more classical. However, as I started to read more into it I realized how modern it was. Articles I have read talk about Concerns of Art of War, Prince’s, and how it’s better to be loved than fear. The Art of War talks about a Prince concerned about using harsh tactics to get his way. “The Prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select…

In Machiavelli’s book “The Prince” he discusses methods to achieve a powerful position for those seeking power and how to maintain it, as well as getting people to submit to their authority. According to Machiavelli, a Prince must heed his book’s teachings and present themselves as a man who should be either feared or loved by the citizens of his kingdom with no exceptions if he wishes to rule with no constraints. But what steps must a prince take to be feared or loved and reign successfully? Or…