Niccolo Machiavelli's 'The Prince'

676 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Machiavelli's opinion/ essay

Aristotle’s view on ethics is very clearly centered around the golden mean, which, is the belief that moral behavior is the mean between two extremes. He does not believe in excess, nor does he believe in deficiencies: the perfect mix is moderation of the two. This was also said by modern philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli in his book The Prince, “The virtuous man, is the man of the mean”. So, some examples of things that would be in excess compared to a deficiency for clarification would be - rashness to cowardice, excess eating to anorexia, rudeness to being a pushover. And, the means of these would respectively be - Courage, moderately eating when one is hungry, and being polite to those who extend the same courtesy. Another focal point Aristotle …show more content…

For example, I would concede that excess or a deficiency of almost anything is bad and that in almost every case you are somewhere in the middle; but, there are cases when one must exceed the other. For example, if someone is trying to kill me with a knife and I have a gun - am I not going to fight (deficiency), or am I going to shoot as much as possible until he stops moving (excess)? You would respond with saying that shooting him once or twice in the leg is enough; but, if you have ever seen someone who has been shot, sometimes it actually does take 3-5+ shots for them to go down. Also, if other people were there, and you could save them, would it not be unethical to not do everything in your power to eliminate that threat, if you were the only one that could? I say yes, it would be unethical if you didn’t because once you have the choice the save someone, someone who is not trying to hurt anyone and is being attacked by someone else and you have the power to stop them, it would be unethical to simply not save them. Now, obviously this is infinitely more complex than that simple scenario because we have police officers and laws; but, I still say that if I have a legal weapon, am following the law, and see someone trying to kill someone else (who is innocent) then I would find it highly unethical not to save them. And, to be clear, yes, I am also suggesting allowing a guilty person to die is also

Show More
Related

  • The Doctrine of the Mean in Aristotles Politics

    2162 Words  | 5 Pages

    At this point, one might want to examine closer what Aristotle denotes by virtue, by what means it can be obtained, and what the effects of virtuousness are on something that possesses it. Aristotle identifies virtue as “a state that decides…the mean relative to us, which is defined by reference to reason… It is a mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency.” The key concept in this definition is the mean relative to us, by which Aristotle understands the intermediate between something that is equidistant from each extremity . As he puts it, in everything continuous and divisible we can take either too much of something, too little, or some intermediate that is between the excess and deficiency. Moreover, the mean relative to us is not merely a mathematical intermediate halfway between the two extremes. For if, Aristotle explains, “ten pounds is a lot for someone o eat, and two pounds a little, I does not follow that the train...

    Read More

  • Machiavelli's The Prince

    414 Words  | 1 Pages

    Machiavelli writes in The Qualities of the Prince, that it is better to be a miser and slightly disliked for a while than to be generous and be liked for a while than hated. If you’re a generous prince you can only be so for a short time before having to raise taxes and having people realize that you’re not that generous in all reality. Once a prince gets a reputation for being hated he will feel any slight unrest of his people. On the other hand if a prince is miserly from the get go he will be received gratefully when he decides to be generous. Using this quality of miserliness he has the ability to expand and defend his kingdom and be ready for any unforeseen events without having to burden his people, which, in turn leads to economic growth.

    Read More

  • Plato's Symbolism Of A Chaariot And The Soul

    2195 Words  | 5 Pages

    For Aristotle, every object has a final cause, which is the reason for which the object is made. In other words, the final cause is the function of the object. An object achieves the Good when it fulfills its function excellently. As an example, a good shovel is a shovel that digs well, whereas a good knife is a knife that cuts well. These functions depend heavily on the object, and an object is not good if it fulfills a function of a different object, a knife that is good at digging holes well would not be a good knife. This principle holds for human beings as well, a good person is the one who fulfills his or her function in an excellent manner. This includes both the function of a person as an individual in a certain field, as well as the general function of a human on a holistic sense. There is no perfect definition of what the overall function of a human being is, though. However, society as a whole has identified several virtues, characteristics that are widely thought to help people fulfill the function of being human and therefore lead to the good. Aristotle believed these traits are learned and developed through practice, but he also says these traits deteriorate if practiced wrong. Under what this philosophy, the best course would seem to be developing these traits to their fullest extreme. Yet Aristotle states “, we observe that these sorts of states naturally tend to be ruined by excess and deficiency” (Nicomachean Ethics, II, 1104a15). In other words, do much of a characteristic can be just as bad as too little of the trait or not having the trait at all. For instance, too much bravery causes one to act without thinking of the consequences or considering the dangers, whereas too much lawfulness would result an individual who is strict and inflexible. On the other hand, living without bravery or lawfulness would also cause problems. Aristotle believes the

    Read More

  • Machiavelli’s The Prince

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    Niccolo Machiavelli lived in Florence, Italy in the 1400’s. The country of Italy was divided into city-states that had their own leaders, but all pledged alliance to their king. In time in which great leaders were needed in order to help the development of a city-state and country, Machiavelli had a theory that man needed a leader to control them. In his book The Prince, he speaks of the perfect leader.

    Read More

  • Aristotle

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aristotle believed that of the virtues learned in our youth, each has a respective excess and deficiency. The virtue is the mean (or midpoint) of the excess and deficiency. The mean can be thought of as “just right';, and the extremities can be labeled as “vices';. The mean should not be thought of as the geometric middle of the two vices- it varies between the vices, depending on the person. Aristotle believed that the mean and the vices are within our control and of the two extremes (vices) we should choose the less erroneous. It is not always easy to choose the less erroneous of the two. For example, Bill decides he wants to drink this Friday night, but he has to drive himself home. His choice of how much to drink lies between two vices: sobriety and drunkenness. Although neither may be his intention for the evening, it is obvious that the less erroneous of the two is sobriety. “So much, then, makes it plain that the intermediate state is in all things to be praised, but that we must incline sometimes towards the excess, sometimes towards the deficiency; for so shall we most easily hit the mean and what is right'; (Aristotle 387).

    Read More

  • Machiavelli's The Prince: Still Relevant after All These Years

    2155 Words  | 5 Pages

    Machiavelli is “a crystal-clear realist who understands the limits and uses of power.” -- Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jared Diamond (2013)

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Doctrine of the Mean

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aristotle begins his discussion on deficiency, intermediate, and excess by introducing what he is looking to accomplish; and by this I mean what we stated earlier in regard to humans and their respective states and functions. He supports this conclusion with the analogy of “the virtue of eyes” and “the virtue of horses” respectively. In this analogy he explains what I interpret as the following: for a person to be in his best state, he must encompass what it is that makes his genus be in its best possible condition. In other words, in order to be virtuous you must also be the best at what you are designated to be purposeful for.

    Read More

  • Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli is a great piece of work that is widely known as one of the key books on how to lead. The book is effectively a how-to manual that describes the certain characteristics that are desired for a person to lead well. Machiavelli offers quite a bit of insight on how to lead and questions whether people are strong enough to lead. “The Prince” while a good manual of how to lead at the time is now somewhat outdated. Although many people would probably relate w out the ideas of Machiavelli to keep themselves in charge, would be appalled if the same practices where demonstrated on them.

    Read More

  • The Morals of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

    435 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the years many rulers and princes have strived to be the best. The book some believe set the standards for a prince is Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Morals of a Prince." Machiavelli states "Hence it is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity" proving that he believes it vital for a prince to know wrong in order to thrive and flourish (Machiavelli 331). Machiavelli undoubtedly has key points that reveal his feelings about being a successful, wrong prince. However, at times his ideology can be rather harsh.

    Read More

  • Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince And The Discourses

    383 Words  | 1 Pages

    Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli will be discussed briefly in this paper, he was labeled as the Italian Renaissance political philosopher and contributed to Public Administration. During Niccolò Machiavelli’s upbringing, he was greatly involved in the works of political and historical problems. He was an important topic of discussion due to his contributions of “The Prince” and “The Discourses” which dicussed “how political power was grasped, used and kept”. His publications were created when he was subsequently impugned of conspiracy in 1513. Lorenzo de' Medici –a Florentine statesman, ruler and patron of arts and letters- fired Machiavelli who worked of the government as the office of Secretary.

    Read More

  • Niccoló Machiavelli's The Qualities Of The Prince

    1521 Words  | 4 Pages

    Niccoló Machiavelli claims in “The Qualities of the Prince” that a prince must have certain qualities that will allow him to seize and maintain his power as a ruler. Machiavelli asserts that these qualities will guarantee the ruler to be able to govern his subjects effectively. According to him, a prince must study the art of war, must understand generosity and to what extent he must be generous to be effective, must choose to either be loved or feared, and be able to keep his word to his citizens according to the situation. These qualities can still apply in today’s politics, and will be useful for a modern time politician as long as they are used carefully.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli's The Prince: Literary Analysis

    1326 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the sixteenth century, there were three sets of socioeconomic statuses that one could acquire or be a part of, the clergy, the nobility, and the peasantry. The divide between these three generalized classes was far more complicated in reality that it seems, as socioeconomic classes consist of multiple branches. Nonetheless, it all essentially came down to two undeniable factions, the oppressors and the oppressed. Niccolo Machiavelli, being a mixture of the two due to his living situation while writing the book, gained a middle-ground which allowed him to achieve omnipotent intelligence that so many rulers normally lack, first hand experience of what it like to live both lives, one as a peasant and the other as a nobleman. This omnipotent

    Read More

  • Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince: A Guide to Being an Effective Ruler

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Prince”, by Niccolo Machiavelli, is a series of letters written to the current ruler of Italy, Lorenzo de’ Medici. These letters are a “how-to” guide on what to do and what not to do. He uses examples to further express his views on the subject. The main purpose was to inform the reader how to effectively rule and be an acceptable Prince. Any ruler who wishes to keep absolute control of his principality must use not only wisdom and skill, but cunning and cruelness through fear rather than love. Machiavelli writes this book as his summary of all the deeds of great men.

    Read More

  • Machiavelli The Prince Review

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli isn't about one man's ways to feed his power hungry mindset through gluttony, nor is it just explaining altercations between a nation's states. This writing is regarding to how one's self-confidence can make them become powerful in a society and also, the way morals and politics differ and can be separate in a government. Originally, Machiavelli wrote The Prince to gain support from Lorenzo de' Medici, who during the era, was governor of Florence. As meant as writing for how a society should be run, this book has been read by many peoples around the world who want to have better knowledge of the perfect stability of beliefs and politics required to run a good civilization.

    Read More

  • Daxas Buyers Club Ethics Analysis

    1582 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is morally permissible to do an illegal act if the action is morally right and good. An action could be morally right and illegal at the same time, when it represents the lesser of two evils, or when the intentions of the person performing it are noble and have for goal to achieve his duty. An action can be morally right, but still illegal because in a situation where there is no good option, the lesser of two evils is the morally best option to do, even if it is illegal (Thomson 39). For example, in Dallas Buyers Club, Ron Woodroof acted rightly by choosing the lesser of two evils: sell illegal drugs to help AIDS patients feel better and live longer, instead of letting them suffer and die (Dallas Buyers Club). If he would have chosen to obey the law, a great number of AIDS patient would have suffered more and died of their illness, and he would have been guilty of not helping them according to the Harming by Omission Thesis (HOT) and the Equivalence of Evil Thesis (EET) (Mieth 17). These thesis affirm that omitting to help someone in need would be as bad as hurting the person directly. Thus, Woodroof acted in a morally permissible way even if he broke the law because he chose the lesser of two evils (Matheny 16). Also, someone can act justly e...

    Read More

More about Niccolo Machiavelli's 'The Prince'

Open Document