Machiavelli

A detailed Summary of Machiavelli

When an action is described as Machiavellian, there are often times negative connotations associated with the specific deed. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin may be described as Machiavellian because they went to great lengths to attain their goal. The two pillaged and murdered ruthlessly to produce visible results. However, they are also two of the most despised men in the world. Hitler and Stalin's ends could never justify the means regardless of their effectiveness in leadership. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Ronald Reagan who was adored by many but accomplished very little. Therefore, we can conclude the praise of your followers is not sufficient criteria when discussing successful ends. A successful end such as those of Cesare Borgia similarly is not sufficient when assessing the effectiveness of one's leadership. To evaluate Nicolo Machiavelli's ideology of the end justifies the means, we must first define what is the end and thereafter can we truly see if the ends do justify the means.

In every picture I have ever seen of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was smiling and those around him were filled with joy. The people who followed him loved him and he was extremely anxious to please them. From Machiavelli's p

In my experience as coordinator for the Asian American Christian Fellowship, there have been instances when a meeting or activity went extremely well and yet I have felt that I was not an effective leader. This year, our group is one of the largest groups on campus and has grown by over 25%. As I have experienced tremendous success for the club, I have witnessed various problems within the leadership group. The leaders are not unified and the visions are not complimentary. Every Sunday evening after a leader's meeting, I cannot help but to feel empty and that our group as a whole is lacking. Even though, feedback in general has been great, I have not gained approval of the people I have been leading. This leads me to believe that success in of itself is not adequate in evaluating a leader. The idea of the end justifying the means implies that the end is powerful and the essential goal. However, in my experience, I have seen great products of an organization yet still not feeling complete. Roosevelt was loved because of his actions and evaluated by his results. Therefore, we see a duality in evaluating a leader. The first measures the means of the leader and the second measures his or her accomplishments.

erspective, FDR's reputation for generosity (before polio) was foolish and if continued would have eventually caused him to lose respect of everyone. However, after stricken with polio, FDR began to develop some assertiveness and moreover, sought to understand himself. In the middle of Roosevelt's life, we witness a man who is transformed and begins a pursuit towards self-knowledge. Roosevelt imparted direction to a lost country and did this by making many deals with the devil. Because Roosevelt had an effective presidency and was loved by his followers, we can conclude that he had successful ends. Even though he is described as making deals

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Approximate Word count = 1262
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History