Power and Change

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces and analyzes the books "The Prince" by Machiavelli and "Utopia" by Thomas More. Specifically, it offers some thoughts as to how theories and practices of the nature and the use of power have changed over the course of time. It reflects on how social circumstances, national conditions and/or moral considerations affect the view and the use of power in a specific time and place and how that conceptualization and use remain constant in different times and places. It evaluates how the use of power as a method for control and abuse has not changed in the world from ancient to modern times. Those who are most powerful seek to hold on to their power by any method necessary, and they threaten those who have less power. Power corrupts and always has.

From the Paper:

""The Prince" illustrates how power and those who wield it have not changed throughout the centuries. Power has always corrupted, and those who wield it tend to be those most easily corruptible. This is easily evident in the modern conflict between the United States and Iraq. Each state believes the other is corrupt and led by a corrupted and corruptible leader, capable of using deadly force against its enemies. These problems seem to have plagued nation-states for all time, and show no sign of elimination in our lifetime, which clearly illustrates that More's "Utopia," while an estimable idea, is simply not viable, today, in a world which is still seated on power and might. As Machiavelli so astutely noted, "men gladly change their masters, thinking to better themselves; and this belief causes them to take arms against their ruler; but they fool themselves in this, since with experience they see that things have become worse" (Machiavelli 8)."

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