Impact of the Writers of Antiquity on Modern Times

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Impact of the Writers of Antiquity on Modern Times History is riddled with the names of various intellectuals and descriptions of their theories. Born of brilliant men like Marx and Machiavelli, to name a few, these theories are preserved in books, illustrated in day-to-day domestic and international affairs, and immortalized in modern theories and documents. They are the predecessors of present theories that have been reinterpreted for a different era and reapplied in a new context. In his most famous work, The Prince, Niccoló Machiavelli discusses the ways in which to not only attain, but also retain, political power. His works deal heavily with methods for creating and maintaining a defensive state—one that is capable of withstanding attack—and the ways in which a ruler can rule. According to Machiavelli, a ruler may violate the moral norm—throw away the ethical rulebook, so to speak—so long as it benefits his state. These theories still resound in many modern policies. Cruel birth control practices, like those of Indira Gandhi in the 1970’s and those of China much more...

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