Socrates And Machiavelli A Political Philosopher

At first glance, Socrates and Machiavelli appear to have a lot in common. They both lived in a time of political unrest and violence. They both dealt with uncertain surroundings in their societies. Most importantly, they both tried to use philosophy to improve their society. However, there was also an important difference between them. While Socrates was a moral philosopher whose goal was to search for truth and knowledge, Machiavelli was a political philosopher whose goal was to create a lasting society with a Prince that could hold power. Because of their clashing ideals, it is unlikely that Socrates would be supportive of a Machiavellian political system or Prince, though there are specific aspects of the society that Socrates would†¦show more content†¦For example, one thing Machiavelli mentions is that it is necessary for a Prince to appear â€Å"merciful, faithful, humane, trustworthy, and religious,† to his subjects. However, Machiavelli believes that actually having those qualities is irrelevant, as long as it looks like he is to his people. Socrates would not approve of this sort of deception of the population. When Socrates discusses wisdom and his quest for knowledge, he talks about how when he talked to both the poets and the craftsmen, they thought themselves knowledgeable in many aspects that they were not, which led him to conclude that true wisdom is knowing the limitations of knowledge. This common theme for Socrates, the acknowledgement of one’s shortcomings, is diametrically opposed to Machiavelli’s version of a Prince, who appears virtuous regardless of how accurate that is. Because of this, Socrates would not agree with Machiavelli on what makes a good Prince. In addition, Socrates and Machiavelli would disagree on the most important form of education that a Prince should engage in. Machiavelli argues that the only important thing a Prince needs to study is the art of war. He goes so far as to argue that, â€Å"A Prince†¦ must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he adopt anything as his art but war, its institutions, and its discipline.† He continues by saying that even during peacetime, a Prince needs to occupy his mind and train himselfShow MoreRelatedMachiavelli And Socrates Similarities1437 Words   |  6 Pagessame way. This is the case with two philosophers, Socrates and Machiavelli, who both lived during times of internal political strife. Greece was divided into numerous city states that were constantly at war with one another and hundreds of years later, Italy would also experience this political fragmentation and violence. Despite having these identical environments, Socrates and Machiavelli adopted two very distinctive and contrasting perspectives. 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