Compare And Contrast Machiavelli And Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu a Chinese Philosopher who is said to be the author of the Tao Te Ching written as a guide for rulers. Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Renaissance writer who lived 2,000 years after Tzu wrote The Qualities of the Prince as a guide for maintaining respect from the governed as well as redemption in the eyes of ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. Leadership qualities keep a society in order. Without a leader a society might collapse, therefore people have endeavored to be admired or feared leaders, but never both. These two authors and philosophers have significantly different ideas of how to be a leader. The Tao refers to; the natural order and progression of the universe backing up Tzu’s idea that a government should not intervene and let the world run itself. He states “ Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself ” (211). If the government or “ the master” backs off, stops trying to control everything and everyone the world will restore order itself everything will fall into place. According to him “Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too

Tzu believes there should never be a war. He states “Weapon are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them” (209). He believes there should not be war and if there ever was it is because a country goes “counter to the Tao [which is when] warheads are stockpiled outside the cities” (210). On the other hand, Machiavelli is more military based he advises princes to be forceful “A prince, therefore must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only profession which befits one who commands . . .” (221). It seems as though Machiavelli believed a prince who did not have a strong army was not a real man nor a real