William Machiavelli s The Prince - 1444 Words

Clash of the Egos Today, society goes to great lengths to project the illusion that genuine leadership signifies only a steadfast commitment to upholding the moral and ethical high ground. Culturally, it’s expected that great leaders must be individuals personifying solely the grandest principles of that society, while excluding and condemning the less admired ones. While this conviction is prevalent throughout our society, this belief is most perpetuated each year in the upper echelons our government during presidential and congressional elections, when candidates are asked inane questions about family values rather than political experience and ambitions. On this basis, our society consequently tends to overlook what true leadership is by choosing our leaders only on the basis of moral merit rather than real political accomplishment. With regard to that, in his work, The Prince, Machiavelli offers a contrasting and humanizing view of leadership when he suggests that successful leaders must b e half animal, with equal parts fox and lion. Machiavelli proposes this concept to insinuate that a proper ruler must exist as a courageous and charismatic individual on the surface, but cunning and self-preserving one beneath it. He illustrates this argument through his depiction of leaders possessing an animalistic alter ego, his understanding of a ruler’s behavior, his description of the various forms in which one can acquire power, and his preference over being thought of asShow MoreRelatedHuman Nature1379 Words   |  6 Pagesmany philosophical writers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Niccolo Machiavelli, in the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and The Prince, subsequently, talks about this subject. In the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Rousseau talks about the natural human state and is transition to its current civilized state. In The Prince, Machiavelli talks about the nature of humans already in a civilized state. Rousseau s and Machiavelli s ideas on the bes t state of humans contrast because Rousseau believesRead MoreMachiavellian Leadership : The Prince1285 Words   |  6 PagesPrinciples Morally Correct to Use Today? For centuries, the political principles brought forth through Nicolà ² Machiavelli in his writing, The Prince, have been quite controversial both on the political forefront and the mainstream of leadership training. Though most people do not know that they are fighting battles over the principles brought about in the writing of Machiavelli. The Prince was written in the years following Machiavelli’s time in the political scene, as secretary of the seigneur, duringRead MoreThe Prince, by Machiavelli Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli – philosopher, patriot, diplomat, advisor and statesman. He was born as the son of a poor lawyer in 1498, but he never let boundaries restrict him. He still received an excellent humanist education from the University of Florence and was soon after appointed as the Second Chancellor of the Republic of Florence.2 His political importance to Florence would soon give him the opportunity to write what is disputed as one of t he most significant works in history, The Prince. For fourteenRead MoreA Connection to Real Life Events; King Henry V 1450 Words   |  6 PagesCertainly, after reading the play titled King Henry V originally written by William Shakespeare and edited by Andrew Gurr, I concluded that certain situations in this book correspond to several aspects in this world. For instance, it can connect to many events that occurred during the 1590s, the time period in which this play was written. On the other hand, it correlates with other compositions that were read in class such as The Prince, but more importantly this play undoubtedly relates to my life. EvenRead MorePower, Authority, and Accountability in Politics 1954 Words   |  8 Pagesvoting for them in the next election. (Hoffman, 2011) Niccolo Machiavelli is an important political theorist to look at while studying politics. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on the Third of May 1469. Machiavelli was very interested in working in the field of politics. He held many political titles in his life. One such example is when he worked as an adviser to the Borgia family for political matters. [Wheeler, 2011] Machiavelli travelled all over Europe on diplomatic missions; here heRead MoreSummary Of The Prince During The 1500 S1622 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing who is corrupt, devious, and deceptive. Machiavelli is considered to be all of the above. He and Iago both believe in striving for their goals and having a strong ambition for greatness, which in retrospect, sounds like a good trait to have. However, characters that are true Machiavellian’s believe that the end justifies the mean, making them the worst kind of villain. Nicolà ² Machiavelli was most famous for writing the essay The Prince during the 1500’s, which emphasized the need for stability,Read MoreThe Fundamentals of Leadership in the Workplace1373 Words   |  6 Pageshave been leaders and people have debated what makes a great leader. Leadership goes back to the time of the ancient Greeks. During the 1500’s, there was an Italian statesman Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince, which he described methods for leaders to use in acquiring power (Leadership 2003). This all led to the recent activity dating to the early 1900’s and what has been developed and used in today’s society. There are many theories of what a leader should possess and the fact that leadersRead MoreEssay about Machiavellian Poltician2964 Words   |  12 Pagessmaller states as opposed to one unified state. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries a man by the name of Nicolo Machiavelli reflected the actions of famous men and their assent to power in his book The Prince. If Machiavellis advice was followed, a ruler could almost guarantee success. But perhaps the first politician in the modern world to follow the advice of The Prince, was a man by the name of Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck. Otto von Bismarck was born on April 1st 1815, in SchonhausenRead MoreBismarck: Machiavellian Poltician3108 Words   |  13 Pagessmaller states as opposed to one unified state. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries a man by the name of Nicolo Machiavelli reflected the actions of famous men and their assent to power in his book The Prince. If Machiavellis advice was followed, a ruler could almost guarantee success. But perhaps the first politician in the modern world to follow the advice of The Prince, was a man by the name of Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck. Otto von Bismarck was born on April 1st 1815, in SchonhausenRead MoreRealist Analysis : The Russian Crimean Crisis2260 Words   |  10 Pages Modern philosophy considers realism as a fully broad term which consists of several movements all showing a unity when it comes to Political realism. On top of the realism founding thinkers overlies the famous names of Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli. Those famous realism thinkers believe that the international world is an anarchic system which guides international relations. This one concept above many others explains the seen actions of any state and the never ending pursuit of power. In