Contrasting and Comparing Platonic and Machiavellian Schools of Thought

A longstanding debate in human recital is what to do with power and what is the best way to rule. Who should have power, how should genius rule, and what its purpose should governing body serve have always been questions at the fore in civilization, and more than once have sparked competition and conflict. The essential elements of rule have placed the human require for order and structure against the human desire for freedom, and compromising amidst the two has never been easy. It is a question that is still considered and argued to this day. However, the business line has not rested solely with military powers or politicians, solely philosophers as well. Two prominent voices in this debate atomic number 18 Plato and Machiavelli, both of whom had very different ideas of governments image in the give ways of its people. For Plato, the essential service of government is to allow its citizens to put out in their proper places and to do the things that they are best at. In short, Platos government reinforces the need for order while fine-looking the illusion of freedom. On the other hand, Machiavelli proposes that governments primitive concern is to remain intact, thereby preserving stability for the people who live under it.

The feature that both philosophers share is that they attempt to via media between stability and freedom, and in the process admit that neither can be totally had. Platos philosophy of government sees the State as a larger version of the individual, and the instinct of an individual is comprised of three parts. Plato states that these three parts include the appetite, the spirit, and spring (167), and these parts have goals and desires that pertain simply to them. For example, reason finds fulfilment in the study of the Forms, or ultimate beauty, which can only be understood through the intellect. The spirit finds expression in emotional terms, such as anger, joy, and sadness. The appetite is concerned with the hunt of bodily pleasure. This aspect of the soul is... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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