...IR 3034: The Political theory of Peace and War. [pic] FIRST ESSAY: « For Machiavelli, the art of war is the supreme test of any polity, whether principality or republic ». Discuss Introduction: Quentin Skinner once argued that even if “Machiavelli died nearly 500 years ago, (…) his name lives on as a byword for cunning, duplicity, and the exercise of bad faith in political affairs”1. Indeed, there is no denying that Machiavelli stands probably as one of the most controversial thinker in the history of political theory. In fact, Skinner even argued that “the charge of being a Machiavellian remains a serious accusation in the political debate”2. As his biographers tell us, Machiavelli came from an Italian family which had been relatively important in the political life of Florence for a long time before his birth, in 1469. At 29 years old, he became second chancellor of the republic, without previous experience, a charge he will keep for more than fourteen years till the return of the Medici’s family. This experience as top official of the Florentine Republic had obviously a huge impact on the development of both his later life, characterized by a succession of disgraces and stroked of bad luck, and his thought. Indeed, as Maurizio Viroli asserts, “Machiavelli considered himself to be an expert on a special art which we call statecraft and he called “arte dello stato”3. There is no denying that, if we look at most of his writings, we will realize...
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...Nicolo Machiavelli Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy.He eventually became a man who lived his life for politics and patriotism. He wrote a pamphlet called The Prince to gain influence with the ruling Medici family in Florence. The political genius of Niccolo Machiavelli was overshadowed by the reputation that was unfairly given to him because of a misunderstanding of his views on politics (Niccolli Machiavelli 1). Machiavelli's life was very interesting. He lived a nondescript childhood in Florence, and his main political experience in his youth was watching Savanarola from afar. Soon after Savanarola was executed, Machiavelli entered the Florentine government as a secretary. His position quickly rose, however, and was soon engaging in diplomatic missions (Nicolo Machiavelli 1). He met many of the important politicians of the day, such as the Pope and the King of France, but none had more impact on him than a prince of the Papal States, Cesare Borgia. Borgia was a cunning, cruel man, very much like the one portrayed in The Prince. Machiavelli did not truly like Borgia's policies, but he thought that with a ruler like Borgia the Florentines could unite Italy, which was Machiavelli's goal throughout his life. Unfortunately for Machiavelli, he was dismissed from office when the Medici came to rule Florence and the Republic was overthrown (Niccolli Machiavelli 1). The lack of a job forced him to switch to writing about politics instead...
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...Niccolò Machiavelli was a keen political observer and a student of roman history. He lamented Italy’s disunity in the face of continuous rivalry among the city-states. The threat of foreign invasion become a reality in 1494, when French armies marched into Italy, thus initiating a series of wars that left Italy divided and impoverished exiled from Florence upon the collapse of the republican government he had served from 1498 to 1512 and eager to win favor with the Medici now that they had returned to power Machiavelli penned the prince a political treatise that called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. In the prince, Machiavelli argued that the need for a strong state justified strong rules. He pictured the secular prince as one who was schooled in war and in the lessons of history. The ruler must trust no one, least of all mercenary soldier. He must imitate the lion in his fierceness, but he must also act like a fox to outsmart his enemies. Finally, in the interest of the state, he must be ruthless and if necessary, he must sacrifice moral virtue. Between the years of 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia, including the City's defense. However, in August 1512 the Medici, helped by Pope Julius II, used Spanish troops to defeat the Florentines at Prato. After his involvement in an unsuccessful attempt to organize a Florentine militia against the return of the Medici family to power in 1512 became known, Machiavelli...
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...Machiavelli’s as a Humanist: Examples and the Lesson He Learn Humanities 101 Strayer University Instructor: Professor Coppelli CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance received in its presentation is acknowledged and disclosed in the paper (with both in-text citations and a Works Cited sheet at the end of the essay). I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. I also certify that this paper was prepared specifically for this course and has not been used for another course (and will not be) either in whole or substantial part. TYPE NAME AND DATE HERE: Power is defined as; a person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others; the might of a nation, political organization, or similar group and; forcefulness; effectiveness (Inc., 2011) . A humanist is defined as one who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans (Inc., 2011). Niccolo’ Machiavelli sought after the power of politics because; he was constantly explaining to individual how to get power and how to hold on to it. He thought,” humanists suppose to believe that individual only grows to maturity, both intellectually and morally through participation in life of the state’ (Machiavelli, 1531, revised 1975, 1981, 1995, 1999). Everyone has their own opinions about him, and his way of life; depending on whom you speak with. His life has some examples...
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...Florentine republican, would write both The Prince and Discourses. Upon closer look, perhaps they are not incompatible. Argue how and why the ideas and values of the two texts complement one another. Niccolo Machiavelli can be described as a cunning critic of political reason. He is the famous author of two books about politics, The Prince and Discourses.The Prince is concerned with autocratic or monarchical regimes with flexible morals , where it is necessary to maintain public favor to retain power.Which favor or support is advised to be maintained using limited generosity , appearing religious ,not persecuting citizens and decisiveness.In the Discourses, Machiavelli extolls the virtues of a republic.The theme of Discourses is that popular rule is always better than that of princes.Emphasizing a strong role for the populace, Machiavelli suggests that political debate and conflict with the appropriate balance of power can actually serve to strengthen a state. As with the Prince he maintains a...
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...Pre-Socratic Period Thales of Miletus Background: Thales of Miletus (fl. c. 585 BC) is regarded as the father of philosophy. Thales of Miletus was considered one of the Seven Wise Men of ancient Greece. Thales was the first of the Greek natural philosophers and founder of the Ionian school of ancient Greek thinkers. Works/Writings/Philosophy: His is said to have measured the Egyptian pyramids and to have calculated the distance from shore of ships at sea using his knowledge of geometry. He also predicted an eclipse of the sun. In geometry Thales has been credited with the discovery of five theorems like the one that a triangle inscribed in a semicircle has a right angle. He tried to discover the substance from which everything in nature is made off and suggested water. Thales is important in bridging the worlds of myth and reason. He initiated the revolutionary notion that to understand the world one needed to know its nature and that there was an explanation for all phenomena in natural terms. That was a giant step from the assumptions of the old world that supernatural forces determined almost everything. While considering the effects of magnetism and static electricity, he concluded that the power to move other things without the mover itself changing was a characteristic of "life", so that a magnet and amber must therefore be alive in some way (in that they have animation or the power to act). If so, he argued, there is no difference between the living and the dead...
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...GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY STUDENT GUIDELINE NOTES GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY MODULE Paste the notes here… Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government. Political economy originated in moral philosophy (e.g. Adam Smith was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow), it developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states — polities, hence political economy. In late nineteenth century, the term "political economy" was generally replaced by the term economics, used by those seeking to place the study of economy upon mathematical and axiomatic bases, rather than the structural relationships of production and consumption (cf. marginalism, Alfred Marshall). History of the term Originally, political economy meant the study of the conditions under which production was organized in the nation-states. The phrase économie politique (translated in English as political economy) first appeared in France in 1615 with the well known book by Antoyne de Montchrétien: Traicté de l’oeconomie politique. French physiocrats, Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx were some of the exponents of political economy. In 1805, Thomas Malthus became England's first professor of political economy, at the East India Company College, Haileybury, Hertfordshire. The world's first professorship in political economy was established...
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