Comparing Aristotle And Niccolo Machiavelli Essay

The term political scientist has been used to describe both Aristotle and Niccolo Machiavelli, but does that term do the work of either man justice? From the outset it is very easy to see the philosophical differences between the two men and their visions of the political system(s). It is fairly obvious that both men were products of their times, Aristotle coming from the end of the Golden Age of Greece and Machiavelli coming from end of Medieval Europe, but in both cases their ideas and advice have endured the centuries and still hold true to this day. While their ideas may still hold weight in the modern political world, their outlooks and philosophies could not have been more different. To Aristotle the basic goal of politics was to help society achieve the â€Å"good life† while to Machiavelli the basic goal of politics was to maintain power and stability no matter what. To this extent both men made very powerful arguments, even though they are a bit dated, and I personall y see the pros and cons of each. As I will explain in more detail, the term political scientist really does neither Aristotle nor Machiavelli justice. To best explain each, Aristotle was a political philosopher while Machiavelli was an extreme political pragmatist. While both Aristotle and Machiavelli studied history and used said study in their research and conclusions, Aristotle used more of a reasoned approach while Machiavelli used an empirical approach. The difference in these methods of study isShow MoreRelatedHow Does Machiavelli Bring Us From A Medieval View Of Politics Of Power And Interests?1402 Words   |  6 Pagesus by Aristotle, had structuralized the forms and functions of government with little attention to conflict. Whereas, in Machiavelli’s work, we explore new notions of statecraft concerning power, fear and interests. Machiavelli’s work is pulled together from thousands of years’ worth of written history and studies of conflict compared to Aristotle’s work, circa 350 B.C. concerned with proportion and constitutions which consists mostly of observations made of Greek city-states. When comparing theseRead MoreThe Political Theories Of Machiavelli, Niccolo Machiavelli And Thomas Hobbes1456 Words   |  6 Pagestheory to function in a certain society, it needs to understand how people think and act. Three prominent political theorists were Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes. Aristotle viewed humans as natural â€Å"political animals† that have both rational and irrational sides to them, allowing for a government that provided overall goodness for the people. Machiavelli took a more grim view of human nature that shows humans as being naturally selfish and ambitious, so the government should be aboutRead MoreThe Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli2045 Words   |  8 Pagesis particularly significant as Niccolà ² di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, was born into the nobility in the Republic of Florence on 3rd May 1469. He was educated in Latin and then studied at the University of Florence. This fuelled his interest in political theory and so the Medici. During his childhood, Lorenzo de Medici, Il Magnifico, had vast power and influence over the fortunes of Florence f ortunes. In awe of the ‘magnificence of the Medicean ruler’ Lorenzo, Machiavelli would later, dedicate The PrinceRead MoreThe Renaissance Of The European Renaissance1890 Words   |  8 Pagesreligious texts and Aristotle (medieval scholasticism). This new education, however, was to be for a purpose. They were to not only be contemplators, but also â€Å"public men†, or being in service to the public. So, they spread their ideas to the people by using the printing press, and within only a couple of days their thoughts were spread throughout Europe. They were often punished by the Catholic Church, which brought about famous works like The Prince, by Niccolà ² Machiavelli, as referred to later