Niccolò Machiavelli

According to Niccolo Machiavelli, “Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but a few have the gift of penetration.” This quote conveys that humans have the propensity1 to see things only on a surface level. They fail to utilize the skill of ‘penetration’, as Machiavelli mentions, and see what is beyond appearances and understand what things truly mean and represent. When it comes to evaluating the world, people often glance over the truth in order to see…

From the crumbling walls of the ancient authority of Rome, two new powers, the Church and western leaders, established their hold on the medieval world. Ushering in an age of population boom, business, and an interest in antiquity, the Church and fledgling powers of the west struggled to find their footing in society. Some cities, such as Rome, survived the change by adapting, and others faded into nothing more than a memory. Cities, empires, and the Church all played a pivotal roles in the…

The truth of human nature The state of nature is a concept that depicts what human nature may be without the existence of government and societies. Great philosophers and thinkers throughout human history have pondered and debated on what might be the interaction human nature and the state of nature. Political theorists such as Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau all comment upon this interaction in their works. My stance on human nature is that people, predominantly, are selfish and need a…

Western civilization experienced many developments to education and intellectualism in-between the time of the fall of Rome and the renaissance. At first, education was based mainly on religion and taught in religious buildings during the middle ages, but as time rolled on colleges and universities arose. Intellectualism was comprised mainly of three factions humanism, secularism, and individualism, and were taught mostly by influential people and their writings. The development of institutions…

Macbeth’s thoughts and actions in the play Macbeth resemble those of Niccolo Machiavelli, a political theorist, in the sense that they both believe that it is better to be feared rather than to be loved. Another base of Machiavelli’s theory that is carried out by Macbeth is the means of deception for personal gain. Macbeth uses deception for his own personal gain. Personal gain is another form of the word “selfish” (getting what you want for yourself). Macbeth deceiving others is best shown in…

extremely competitive. The Medici’s’ inspired artists to express themselves and supported them in their work and in learning the classics, as well, many artists went to Florence to train in art and the classics. Niccolo Machiavelli was a Renaissance humanist who wrote The Prince, which Machiavelli wrote for the Medici’s on how they should rule Florence. Although the Medici’s did not pay much attention to him or his book, the book is still seen as an important part of history for its…

Essay 1 I believe that the Renaissance was a bridge to modern society for many reasons. Some of those reasons being that many inventions created during the era are still used today; advances in science, art, and literature; and the reformation of religion that helped shape today's churches. These factors helped the Renaissance influence, or build a bridge to, modern society. Inventions created during the Renaissance are still used today. For example, the pencil was made during the…

Thomas Hobbes wrote Leviathan during the English Civil War, promoting the necessity of sovereignty in order to achieve a functional society. With the influence of Francis Bacon and Niccolò Machiavelli, Hobbes presented his theories through empiricism and the social dynamics of power. Hobbes’ philosophy is a denial of classical teachings and the acceptance of science or the new age of reason. Hobbes devotes chapters in the Leviathan to even explicitly go against traditional Aristotle teachings.…

choice between right and wrong. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the characters struggle with their sense of morality. Throughout the course of the play, characters perform unethical tasks in order to gain and secure their glory. According to Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian philosopher and political realist, “rulers cannot be bound by morality” in order to be successful (Burnham, Hill, King, Marenbon & Weeks, 2011, p.106)1.The Machiavellian philosophy suggests that the most suitable ruler is…

To begin with, it is a vital role in determining the most appropriate capital structure for a business organization. One of the main reasons is to maximize shareholder wealth which has been the main priority. Besides that, the decision made on the type of capital structure to be applied can also impact the company itself in dealing with its competitive environment. Based on Modigliani and Miller (1958), optimal capital structure exists when risk of bankruptcy is balanced with the savings of debt…