Paper Summary:

The paper relates that Niccolo Machiavelli, the Renaissance Italian diplomat, and Thomas Hobbes, the 17th century English political philosopher, approached the analysis of political institutions and history from points of view shaped by very different political and social contexts. In this essay, the political perspectives of both thinkers are analyzed comparatively, as manifested in their respective writings, in order to highlight and examine similarities and differences between the political thought of both men. The focus of this paper is upon how Machiavelli and Hobbes understand the nature of political rule and sovereignty. The thesis is advanced that the primary differences between the two thinkers lie in what each conceive to be the purpose of politics - for Machiavelli the acquisition of power, and for Hobbes the stability of social order - and how this purpose is reflected in ultimate objectives of each thinker in their respective works.

From the Paper:

"Niccolo Machiavelli, the Renaissance Italian diplomat, and Thomas Hobbes, the 17th century English political philosopher, approached the analysis of political institutions and history from points of view shaped by very different political and social contexts. In this essay, the political perspectives of both thinkers will be analyzed comparatively, as manifested in their respective writings, in order to highlight and examine similarities and differences between the political thought of both men. The focus of this paper will be upon how Machiavelli and Hobbes understand..."

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