Similarities Between Machiavelli And Martin Luther King Jr

Niccolò Machiavelli and Martin Luther King Jr. are two of the greatest political leaders in history. Although opposite in the spectrum of beliefs, and separated by time and location, these two influenced our world in unbelievable ways. They both helped shape the world as we know it today. In this paper, I will discuss the lives of these two monumental leaders and explain the similarities between their acheivements.

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on May 3, 1469. As an adult, he studied business mathematics and worked for a Florentine banker in Rome. After the exile of the Medici family, a powerful family in Italy that owned banks, 29 year-old Machiavelli obtained the role as an ambassador of Florence. Being a diplomat in the

Florentine Republic for Italy, he created a name for himself as an atypical leader, defying norms and being blatant. After 14 years of Machiavelli holding a political position, the Medici family wanted to return to Italy. Machiavelli tried everything in his power to keep the Medicis from returning, even forming a Florentine militia to keep them away. Eventually the Medicis returned, and they were unhappy with the actions of Machiavelli. As a result, he lost his position of political power and was jailed. He died in 1527.
It was in prison when Machiavelli authored a book titled The Prince, which was a political theory book that separated the concepts of politics and ethics.

In comparison to political theory that had come before it, Macchiavelli’s work was one of a kind. Instead of theories based on hypotheses, which was how previous authors backed their political data, he backed his claims with evidence of actual accounts that occurred through history. The popularity of The Prince deemed Machiavellianism. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the adjective Machiavellian as “using clever lies and tricks in order to get or achieve something.” (Merriam-Webster) The purpose of this book being written was to get on the good side of the Medici family, and to convince them to listen to his

advice.
Macchiavelli’s impact on the world is evident as The Prince is often deemed the most influential work by man done during the Renaissance Era in Italy.

By his book being an examination of how a leader could get in power and remain in power, many politicians have thoroughly studied it. It teaches that as being a leader, sometimes one has to be immoral to achieve certain goals. The compiled thoughts of Macchiavelli proved that he was not afraid to share his thoughts, no matter how unethical they may have been. The Prince remains a universal reference in the world of politics today just as much as it did in 1513. For this reason, Macchiavelli is known as the “father of modern political theory.”

Centuries later, across the Atlantic Ocean, a man named Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. At age 15, he attended Morehouse College and eventually received a degree in Sociology. Following the lead of his father, Martin Luther King Sr., he furthered his studies in the field of theology, at Crozer Theological Seminary. Concluding his studies, King received his doctorate degree from Boston University after he became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. A PhD in 1955, he was only

25.
King lived during a time of racial inequality, a result of slavery in America. African Americans were treated horribly and segregation was prevalent. Many African American leaders involved themselves in political affairs attempting to remedy the ill treatment of the black community in America. Martin Luther King was one of these leaders. In 1955, he and other civil rights leaders led a boycott in attempts to lift the segregation laws in America. They were successful. After leading many boycotts and sit-ins, King is best known for leading the March on Washington, in the nation’s capital on August 28, 1963. It was here when he made the “I Have a Dream” speech, convincing the world that all men are created equal and can treat each other like brothers. Prior to this speech, on April 12, King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama after a demonstration in the community. It was in prison when King wrote the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail.