Confucius and Mackiavelli
Confucius was a humanist, unlike Machiavelli. He examined the past and distinguished the good and the bad. He remembered important information that was to be modeled or serve as an example of what should be avoided. Confucius felt that force regulation by law could set limits for people. However, he felt that it was too cruel to inspire their daily exchanges. He felt that the governments needed meaning and motivation, something they could not provide. Unlike Machiavelli, Confucius felt the need for love. He felt love is an important place in life and that is should be supported by social structures and ethics. Confucius stressed that one should "...not impose on others what you yourself do not desire (XV 24)." He stressed the importance of tradition. He taught that tradition shaped peoples' attitudes and would soon be perfected. Machiavelli was not concerned with being very virtuous, but Confucius begged to differ. Confucius states, "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps
Even with doubts of a successful system, Machiavelli strongly supported a secular form of government. He believed a prince should act in his own consent and not be too generous. The reason for this is that men will only advise the prince of what is in their own best interests. A secular form of government was a key factor in the prince's success in maintaining control. Great generosity can destroy a prince's state because it requires enormous lavish. An ungenerous prince will have those extra funds to develop better protection and will be able to afford projects without heavily taxing his citizens. In the end great respect and loyalty will result. A prince's reputation should be that of fear, not love. It is better to be feared by your citizens than have them love you. The problem with love is that men are so easily prone to relinquish when it is to their advantage. On the other hand, fear is strengthened by the dire penalty (Prince 54). Cesare Borgia's cruel reputation was the main contributing factor in Romagna's cruel unification and
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Approximate Word count = 711
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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