Compare And Contrast Kant Vs Machiavelli

555 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ideas about idealism and realism

“Realism is the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly (as defined by Dictionary.com).” In my opinion, I see myself to be more of a realist as I support Machiavelli’s philosophies, “maintaining power and acquiring more power are primary concerns while moral issues act as a secondary concern.” I believe our society must value moral issues, however, power should be treated with a greater concern. For example, the Melian Dialogues educated us regarding the Peloponnesian war and the conflict of morals between the Melians and Athenians. Also, the contrast between Immanuel Kant’s philosophies and Niccolò Machiavelli’s closely relates regarding the conflict of realism vs idealism as the …show more content…

According to Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, conflict arose when the Athenians sailed to the island of Melos. The Athenians demanded the Melians to submit to their rule. The Melians neutral and idealistic view sparked conflict amongst the Athenians resulting in an aggressive response. The Athenians replied, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” This quote is seen as the first explicit endorsement of realism. This prompted the Athenians to brutally slaughter the Melians; Thucydides Melian Dialogues imagines the dialogue which may have taken place between the Athenians and the Melians. In the supposed dialogues the Melians believed that the Athenians unjust conflict and war would provide them with fortune. This idealist view taken by the Melians supposed that the help from the gods will help them prevail, this resulted in their slaughtering and enslavement. However, the Athenian’s realistic view (to maintain and acquire more power) allowed them to prevail. The Peloponnesian War acts as an example of realism’s superiority over idealism, while the Melians supported the idea that moral issues are of primary concern, their conquer believed morals are of secondary concern and acquiring and maintaining power acts as a primary

Show More
Related

  • Thucydides: Fear, Honor, And Interest

    273 Words  | 1 Pages

    Thucydides was right to claim that all wars can be explained by Fear, Honor, and Interest. All Wars are related to the three characteristics as stated by Dr. Nation (Dr. Nation video). The Athenians thought process was that the weak would be ruled by the strong and that was the nature of conflict (Strassler p. 43). Looking at the Peloponnesian war itself will illustrate how fear, honor and interest were involved with how this war developed. The initial unnamed Athenian that made that statement was probably using it to deter war with Sparta when it mostly incited the war (Dr. Nation Video). The Athenians wanted to maintain and sustain their city state but also expand it. They were expanding through their alliances and this is what invoked the

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Thucydides' Views on the Melian Dialogue

    1591 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this paper, I will first extract Thucydides views from the Melian Dialogue and then analyze whether or not these views are well founded. Thucydides believed that the Athenians had the stronger argument. Proof of this lies in the way Thucydides picked the arguments for each side. For the moment, we will disregard the actual content of the arguments, and look at argumentation forms and the flow of the debate. The Melians argued using consequences of an Athenian take over.

    Read More

  • The Mytilene Debate and Athenian Debate

    1590 Words  | 4 Pages

    The book written by Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, contains two controversial debates between distinguished speakers of Athens. The two corresponding sides produce convincing arguments which can be taken as if produced as an honest opinion or out of self-interest. The two debates must be analyzed separately in order to conclude which one and which side was speaking out of honest opinion or self-interest, as well as which speakers are similar to each other in their approach to the situation.

    Read More

  • The Causes and Effects of the Peloponnesian War

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    The causes of the Peloponnesian War proved to be too great between the tension-filled stubborn Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. As Thucydides says in Karl Walling’s article, “Never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed” (4). The three phases of the war, which again, are the Archidamian war, the Sicilian Expedition and the Decelean war, show the events that followed the causes of the war, while also showing the forthcoming detrimental effects that eventually consumed both Athens and eventually Sparta effectively reshaping Greece.

    Read More

  • Megarian Decree Essay

    400 Words  | 1 Pages

    A Spartan envoy to Athens made clear to the Athenians that a war could be prevented if they reversed the decree. According to Thucydides, “the Athenians held an assembly, and laid the matter before their consideration….there were many speakers who came forward and gave their support to one side or the other, urging the necessity of war, or the revocation of the decree and the folly of allowing it to stand in the way of peace.” A significant part of Thucydides account is the speech Pericles gave before the assembly: “for some time past the designs of the Lacedaemonians have been clear enough, and they are still clearer now... they want to redress their grievances by arms and not by argument.” In this defiant speech by Pericles which referenced the Thirty Years Peace, Thucydides showed how hostility increased quickly between Athens and Sparta due third party city states.

    Read More

  • Peloponnesian War Essay

    2197 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Peloponnesian War is the conflict between the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, and the Delian League, led by Athens. Much of our knowledge on the causes and events of the Peloponnesian War, depends on the Athenian Thucydides 460-400 BC, writer of the History of the Peloponnesian War. He served as an Athenian commander in Northern Greece during the early years of the war until the assembly exiled him as he lost an outpost to the enemy. During this exile, he was able to interview witnesses on both sides of the conflict. Unlike Heredotus, he concentrated on contemporary history and presented his account of the war in an annalistic framework that only occasionally diverts from chronological order.

    Read More

  • The Peloponnesian War and the Decline of Leadership in Athens

    3378 Words  | 7 Pages

    Speaking of the revolution in Corcyra, which occurred after the Athenian decision to spare Mytilene but before its destruction of Melos, Thucydides wrote, “In peace and prosperity states and individuals have better sentiments, because they do not find themselves suddenly confronted with imperious necessities; but war takes away the easy supply of daily wants and so proves a rough master that brings most men’s characters to a level with their fortunes” (III.82.2). This was precisely the change Athens underwent, and the cause of its eventual demise. Works Cited Thucydides. The Landmark of Thucydides.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast John Locke And Machiavelli

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    Machiavelli believed that, ethics and morality were considered in other categories than those generally known. He does not deny the existence of, but did not see how they can be useful in its traditional sense as in politics and in the government of the people. According to Machiavelli, a man is by nature a political angry and fearful. Machiavelli had no high opinion of the people. It is assumed that a person is forced to be good and can get into the number of positive features, such as prudence and courage. The prince can only proceed gently and with love, because that would undermine the naivety of his rule, and hence and the well-being of the state. He thought that, the Lord must act morally as far as possible, immorally to the extent to

    Read More

  • Significance of Pericles' Death

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    As can be expected from pioneer governmental institutions, Athenian democracy was not perfect. In fact it was far from it. It resulted in the establishment of poor policies by aggressive populists who sought "...private ambition and private profit...which were bad both for the Athenians themselves and their allies." (Thucydides). These self interested populist leaders with personal gain in mind established extensive internal political instability "...by quarrelling among themselves [and] began to bring confusion into the policy of the state." (Thucydides). Repeated opportunities to accept terms of peace after the battles of Pylos (425), Arginusae (406) and Aegospotami (405) were ignored by the inefficient Athenian demos eventually resulting in the devastation of the once dominant city-state. Internal political strife can also be attribu...

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Peloponnesian War

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) was a conflict between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta that resulted in the end of the Golden Age of Athens. The events of the war were catalogued by the ancient historian Thucydides in The History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides’ writings showed the ancient Greek belief that there is a parallel between the city-state and the character of its citizens; in order for the city-state to be successful, its citizens must be virtuous. Thucydides did not believe that the true cause of the Peloponnesian War were the immediate policies of the Athenian Empire against the city-states in the Peloponnesian League but rather the fundamental differences in the character of the two city-states

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes and the Realist School

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    The realist school is based on the thought that human nature is not perfectible. Human nature is viewed as evil and something that cannot be trusted or counted on. In order to have a successful society the citizens need to be controlled by a strong sovereign government. This strong government would be the only thing able enough to control human nature and the evils it produces. If a strong central government did not exist a state of chaos would be created by the people of the land. One of the leading philosophers of the realist school was Thomas Hobbes. He elaborated on many of the concepts of realism.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Utilitarianism And Kantian Ethics

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine being faced with an important decision that affects a group of people. In order to make this decision you would have to decide which choice is wrong and which choice is right. There are two notable theories that believe a single moral principle provides the best way to achieve the best outcome to a moral judgement. These theories are utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Plato And Machiavelli

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    Likewise, Plato’s philosopher king also uses the same concept but calls it “Justice” or “Good.” Similarly, to Machiavelli, who needs his Prince to have virtù to lead the people, Plato necessitates that his king use philosophical knowledge and emphasize justice to guide the unenlightened masses towards a just and stable society as well. When Socrates discusses the allegory of the cave, he remarks how when rulers must descend “to the general underground abode” where the masses “reside,” the ruler “will see a thousand times better than [the inhabitants of the cave]…because [the ruler has] seen the truth about things admirable and just and good” (Plato 520c). Plato believes that by seeing beyond the cave, and understanding the situation he exists in, the leader will have the appropriate ability to bring foresight and intelligence when making difficult decisions. While Plato’s and Machiavelli’s means of educating, changing and legitimizing political communities differ, the two philosophers share the same goal of using the benevolent dictators’ attained knowledge to lead the masses and their governments to prosperity and good fortune.

    Read More

  • Realism During the 1994 Rwanda Genocide

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    All branches of realism share some central tenets. Realists believe that the world exists in a state of anarchy. Since there is not a world government to keep states from attacking each other, or to punish them when they do, it becomes very important for each government to be able to protect itself and ensure its survival. It is also why states are considered the most important actors in realism. Due to the anarchy, the world operates in power is extremely important. If a state has military power, and to a lesser extent economic power, they are able to defend themselves and even influence other states. Realism stresses the importance of one state being more powerful than its competitors.

    Read More

  • Melian Dialogue as interpreted through perspectives of Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Realist, absolutely dedicated to the preservation and security of the Athenian Empire declares stoutly, “General, it is no great surprise that our negotiations reflected the success and dominance of realism in the political arena.” The Liberal, mindful of universal pathos over such a nationalistic approach, gasps. Deeply moved by the proceedings of the Melian dialogue, and aghast at the lack of understanding in her fellow representatives, she offers a venomous retort, “To hell with realism! Can’t you see the truth? Oh, my comrades are blind to the universal laws of right and wrong! Truly, our very invasion of this people is immoral! We should be moved by empathy and compassion for the Melians!” A steady, even voice i...

    Read More

More about Compare And Contrast Kant Vs Machiavelli

Open Document