Socrates Vs Machiavelli Essay - 875 Words

Socrates, in his early works, maintained a steadfast distance from involvement in politics, making a comparison or evaluation of a political system in his persona technically impossible. To claim that Socrates would or would not be supportive of any political system might then seem irresponsible, a presumptuous analysis not fitting for an academic recognizing the false equivalence between Socrates’ philosophy and Machiavelli’s political ethics. The strategy to conduct any sort of liable and valid analysis is not to wholly ignore the â€Å"political† part of the system but to evaluate†¦show more content†¦In spite of this ideological divide, the two had commonalities specifically pertaining to politics, at the very least in practice and method, wherein they could agree on autocracy and suppression of one’s enemies. Machiavelli’s political theory is contingent upon the explicit and unchanging verity that humans are self serving by default, providing an advantageous foresight of predictability. If humans are always and will always act selfishly, it is possible to deduce a large scale societal response to any given action or context within a certain margin of error. However, the entire theory dissolves if indeed people do not act in this predicted manner, concerned only for themselves. Machiavelli’s â€Å"prince†, a tangible representation of the leader and power behind a given political system, is duplicitous, troubled with appearances and survival above all else. Machiavelli argued, through his most notable work The Prince, that is most advantageous for a ruler t oShow MoreRelatedSocrates Vs Niccolo Machiavelli Essay1606 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates and Niccolo Machiavelli are revered as some of the most influential thinkers of their respective times. Both of these thinkers developed their thoughts while Athens and Florence, their respective cities, faced political unrest. By questioning the people of Athens through their period of turmoil following a shift in government, Socrates was able to formulate opinions regarding how a government should operate and how people should rule. Centuries later during the Renaissance era, Machiavelli’sRead MoreSocrates Vs. The Prince1842 Words   |  8 PagesSocrates vs. The Prince Niccolà ² Machiavelli, a Florentine philosopher and political aficionado from the 16th century and Socrates, a classical Athenian savant who lived during the 5th century B.C., are both judged as being forefathers to modern western political science and thought. The two great men both came from erratic epochs within their respective nations of Italy and Greece: wars, transitions of power, and domestic conflicts left their countries void of sustainable leadership and in desperateRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesaccounting research is that both share a strong control orientation. For example, a large part of the applied managerial accounting literature as well as managerial accounting textbooks focus on the design of performance measures (Wnancial vs. non-Wnancial, cost vs. proWt vs. residual income measures, etc.) and control techniques (e.g. variance analysis). The remainder of this chapter discusses some examples of the successful application of contract theory-based analysis to such managerial accounting issuesRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages269 United Chemical Company 269 Byron vs. Thomas 271 Active Listening Exercise 272 SKILL APPLICATION 274 Activities for Communicating Supportively Suggested Assignments 274 Application Plan and Evaluation 274 274 SCORING KEYS AND COMPARISON DATA 276 Communicating Supportively 276 Scoring Key 276 Comparison Data 276 Communication Styles 276 Comparison Data 276 SKILL PRACTICE Diagnosing Problems and Fostering Understanding: United Chemical Company and Byron vs. Thomas 278 Observer’s Feedback Form