Compare Machiavelli And Lao Tzu

Jake Edwards

Professor Messersmith

Comp II

2/16/16

Government: A Profound Leader

Since the being of time, humans have sought out law, or government. Governments have been set in place all throughout the world to try to maintain peace and order. As easy as it sounds, governments can be demolished without the right leader. However, that is the catch, what makes a good leader? Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince” and Lao-Tzu’s “Tao-te Ching” gives some ideas on how a leader should control their government. Although Machiavelli’s and Lao-Tzu’s ideas do not quite go hand and hand, there are some similarities. They both spoke similarly on how people should feel about their leader. Lao-Tzu views one of the best qualities

He writes, “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war, its institution, and its discipline” (p.221). Also, he views the prince as the protector of the country and believes war should be the only thing on the princes mind by saying “And in peacetime he must train himself more than in time of war” and also “besides keeping his soldiers well disciplined and trained, he must always be out hunting and must accustom his body to hardships in this manner; and he must also learn the nature of open terrain and know how mountains slope, how valleys open, how plains lie, and understand the nature of the rivers and swamps; and he should devote much attention to such activities” (p.222). According to him, knowing how to fight and defend in wars is a country’s greatest attribute. On the contrary, Lao-Tzu thinks otherwise. He believes war is the last thing the master should worry about. Lao-Tzu writes, “There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy” (p.210). Moreover, Lao-Tzu has a more laid-back style of viewing government compared to Machiavelli. He also states, “Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn’t try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms. For every force there is a counterforce. Violence,

Machiavelli insists that he saves up his own money to prepare for battles and future wars; “for with time he will come to be considered more generous once it is evident that, as a result of his parsimony, his income is sufficient, he can defend himself from anyone who makes war against him, and he can undertake enterprises without overburdening his people” (p.225). Machiavelli says the leader should save up the income received and put it towards the country’s military so when it comes time for war the leaders does not have to tax the people and burden them. Lao-Tzu believes the income he receives should go to all the people instead of saving it for war. “If you want to learn how to govern, avoid being clever or rich. The simplest pattern is the clearest” and he goes on to say, “If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them” (p.213). Unlike Machiavelli, Lao-Tzu says the master gives mostly all his money away to the people so he is on the same level as them. Both Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu have good ideas for how to spend their income and it comes down to trying to do what is best for the