Niccolo Machiavelli

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Machiavelli's beliefs are very different from that of his contemporaries and relates that part of the reason Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" was to shock those around him so that he could hopefully earn the approval of the powerful Medici family. The paper discusses how Machiavelli's ruthless style of leadership contradicts the Bible, because the Bible teaches that leadership is earned by serving; whereas Machiavelli's views are obvioulsy very different. The writer is of the opinion that Machiavelli's beliefs are not realistic in today's world because people want to have a say in the way their government is run and, under the guidelines set forth in The Prince, this political influence is not tolerated.

From the Paper:

"One such deep thinker and leader was Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat and political thinker that began his political career in 1498. He served for more than a decade as an ambassador on diplomatic missions through France, Germany, and Italy. When the Italian republic collapsed he was forced from his post and was left with nowhere to serve. He repeatedly tried to regain the approval and confidence of the new regime in Italy but his attempts were unsuccessful. Since he was no longer able to lead an active political life, Machiavelli wrote The Prince, where he wrote down his major concerns about politics. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilization: A Brief History. California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.
• Macarthur, John. Macarthur Study Bible. New York: Word, 1998.
• DIETZ, MARY G. (1998, 2003). Machiavelli, Niccolo. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge. Retrieved November 03, 2005, from http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/S080SECT7
• Mchiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince.

More papers on Niccolo Machiavelli:

• Essay # 3123 : "The Political Theory of Niccolo Machiavelli"
• Analytical Essay # 67509 : "The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli"
• Book Review # 117024 : "Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince"
• Research Paper # 91759 : "Niccolo Machiavelli"

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