What Would Two Political Philosophers Essay - 1656 Words

In the weeks following the 2016 United States Presidential election, much of the joy and outrage surrounding President elect Donald Trump has subsided. People of varying ages, races and socioeconomic classes have expressed in some form or another some sort of emotion regarding the status of the United States and where it will be in 2020. What would two political philosophers from history say? The best way to find out how Niccolà ³ Machiavelli and Jean Jean-Jacques Rousseau would feel about the president elect would be to compare Donald Trump to their respective ideals, the prince and the general will. Machiavelli would certainly have mixed feelings regarding Donald Trump. His prince is supposed to do whatever it takes to gain power and maintain it. Though Trump has gained and will retain power, barring any impeachable offenses, for the next four years, he has not done it in a way Machiavelli would approve of. Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of the prince to not be hated in cha pter nineteen when he says â€Å"the prince should think about avoiding those things which make him hated and despised; and when he has avoided this, he will have carried out his duties and will find no danger whatsoever in all other vices† (136). Though the vices he mentions are in reference to the other facets of being a successful leader, Donald Trump has literally found himself in physical danger as a result of his inability to refrain from being hated. At a rally in Nevada in November, forShow MoreRelatedComing Back to Platos Cave1125 Words   |  5 Pageshow the philosopher, as the only person who exits the cave in the allegory, is required to re enter the cave after having exited and come into direct contact with true reality. Some have critiqued the demand on the philosopher to be contradictory to other claims made by Plato, namely the claim that true justice is personal virtue and that it is always doing what is best for yourself. Critics claim that with the in the allegory of the cave, it seems to be to the disadvantage of the philosopher to comeRead MorePlato s Influence On The Government Of His Time1204 Words   |  5 PagesPlato is anti-political, in that he removed government from political life. Some would argue that Plato was against the government of his time. That may be true if one takes into account the fact that Plato, who supported the oligarchical Sparta, was growing up in Athens, Greece, who strongly supported a democratic government (Roberts Sutch 2004). Then one could argue that he was against the government because he supported a government (oligarchies) that went against that in which he grew up inRead MoreCritical Analysis of Plato and Aristotle1634 Words   |  7 Pages(HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT) TOPIC A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLES POLITICAL THOUGHT WRITTEN BY OKWOR, STEPHEN USHIE 09/ED/EF/814 DEPT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS (POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIT) FACULTY OF EDUCATION SUBMITTED TO DR. EJERE DEPT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF UYO, UYO AKWA IBOM STATE MAY, 2012 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLES POLITICAL THOUGHT In order to compare these great philosophers, it is importantRead MoreA Critical Analysis Of Citizen Life In Platos The Republic1552 Words   |  7 PagesThis philosophical study will compare the two paradigmatic regimes of the aristocracy and tyranny and also provide a critical analysis of citizen life in Plato’s The Republic. The similarities between Socrates’ definition of the Philosopher King of the aristocracy and the tyrant are that a single ruler governs over the republic. In some ways, the empowerment of a single individual provides a catalyst for an aristocratic engagement of the nobleman to support this form of governance. In these seeminglyRead MoreComparing Twentieth Century Political Thought Leo Strauss And Richard Rorty1421 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction When it comes to an analysis of twentieth century political thought Leo Strauss and Richard Rorty are two indispensable figures. Rorty was a pupil of Strauss at the University of Chicago, and was always quick to acknowledge the influence that his former teacher had on his writing. In the following paper I will briefly highlight and critique the fundamental arguments presented by the duo. Certainly, Rorty and Strauss share a degree of commonality in their critique of the EnlightenmentRead MoreAn Analysis Of Euripides The Suppliants 1372 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Suppliants, Euripides wrote, â€Å"The people cannot form proper judgements and therefore cannot rightly direct a state†. Euripides is living in the midst of democracy in Athens; therefore his quote is a critique of what is happening around him. In his quote, he is taking an anti-democratic stance towards the question of who is fit to rule. Euripides believes only one or few people should rule a state, as not all a re qualified or have the ‘proper judgement’ to do so. However, people do rule theRead MoreKarl Marx And Manifesto Comparison Essay1402 Words   |  6 Pageswere to question anything we would just be blind sheep who follow whatever they are told. Many philosophers challenge the norms in a hope to make things better. Karl Marx and Buddha were very influential people in the world of Philosophy and are some of the pioneers of challenging the routine and normal perception of things and ideas. They had their own ideas that helped shaped the practices and things that people do today. They both can be very different in how they would answer basic questions regardingRead MorePolitical Philosophy And The Role It Plays Today1598 Words   |  7 PagesWESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT What is Political Philosophy? And the Role it Plays Today Savannah Dye 9/17/2015 â€Æ' â€Å"Political philosophy† and â€Å"political theory† are versatile, yet relative terms. Ironically, the most unifying aspect of both definitions is their fluidity. One of the only things that theorists concur on is the purpose of a political theory, which is to incite change to a certain degree. The intention of political theorists and political philosophers alike is to unveil the deeperRead MorePlato, Nietzsche, And Aristotles Theory Of Political Philosophy1670 Words   |  7 Pages Political theory is the study of concepts that allows for the analytical study of relationships between political institutions. Over the centuries, political theorists have established renditions of what political theory is. This essay will focus on Plato, Nietzsche, and Aristotle, and their works, which respectively define the concepts of the common good and the significance of philosophers to the welfare of the state, self-deceiving intellect and the power of authority over our intellectualRead MoreEssay on Explaining Political Philosophy744 Words   |  3 PagesExplaining Political Philosophy Political philosophy, or political theory, as it is also known, is about human condition, or, what humans are like. There are roughly four main kinds of political philosophy around today-Libertarianism, Socialism, Liberalism and Communitarianism. Political theory is an attempt to understand people, what we are like as individuals, what society and the state are like, and how we as humans, the state and society all interact with one and