Machiavelli and Socrates

Everyone has their own philosophies to deal with life as it is thrown at them. Machiavelli and Socrates offer guidance to societies so they may succeed, as noble rulers. Machiavelli gives his go get them attitude to help maintain power, which I agree with, and Socrates lays out his ideas of enlightenment to rule. Michiavelli gives great advice for someone living in America in the year 2000, so that they my gain and maintain power. As a whole Americans need to embraces the ideas of Socrates to be wise and just leaders. I support Machiavellis way of dealing with the way people really behave, and how the world is. It makes more sense, to deal with people and situations of the world in their natural state. Attempting to change people that are set in their ways is much more difficult, than just handling people in a way that they are accustom to. Humans feel safer when they follow actions that have already been proven successful, outsiders should work with them by what that group knows. Machiavelli says, since men almost always tread the paths made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, although they are not completely able to stay on the path of others nor attain the skill of those they imitate, a prudent man should always enter those paths taken by great men and imitate those who have been most excellent, so that if ones own skill does not match theirs, at least it will have the smell of it (Machiavelli, 20). This is relevant because in society citizens tend to pass on teachings to the next generations, and to behave as they did to continue their customs. Thus in trying to deal with people, you should also understand where they are coming from in their actions. When a person attains a high position of authority, it is truly better for them to be feared than loved by their subjects. For the leader to maintain their position they need to be...