1. Machiavelli, Hobbes, Luther, Locke: A Comparison
The first use Violence, to make themselves Masters of other mens persons, wives, children, and cattell; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other signe of undervalue, either direct in their Persons, or by reflexion in their Kindred, their Friends, their Nation, their Profession, or their Name."" ... Given this absolute freedom, Hobbes believed that until the state of war was brought to an end, and a civil society formed with a sovereign power, there would be no such thing as justice or morality: "In Such a Warre, Nothing Is Un...
Jean-Jacques Rousseau constructed The Social Contract to solve the question of freedom, specifically, the preservation and survival of what he terms as civil freedom, and his solution to this problem, in its most general sense, is the construction of the civil state. Through the grouping of citizens...
Jean-Jacques Rousseau constructed The Social Contract to solve the question of freedom, specifically, the preservation and survival of what he terms as civil freedom, and his solution to this problem, in its most general sense, is the construction of the civil state. Through the grouping of citizens...
Written in the 16th century, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli has come to be regarded by many historians and political experts as one of the oldest political primers in history. As a political philosopher Machiavelli sought to examine and analyzing the data he collected from reviewing past historie...
In Niccolo Machiavelli's the Prince, he is conveying to the reader and also to the Medici family, his views on how Princes should run their states. As one gets further into the reading they will find the Machiaveli's ideal Prince is a harsh and fierce individual that must be able to execute actions that might be considered intolerable, but however, must be done in order to ensure an effective rule. He begins by discussing Hereditary states. Hereditary states are states that are ruled for many years by an already established family. During his discussion of these types of states, h...
Many critics regard "King Lear" as the greatest, and most tragic, of William Shakespeare's plays; indeed, some claim that it is the most tragic play ever written. And yet, it is difficult to see why we should regard "King Lear" as a tragedy for the King is basically a pathetic old man, vain and foolish, rash in his judgment and incapable of controlling his emotions. This characterization seems to preclude viewing Lear on the Aristotelian model of a tragic hero, as someone raised above the ordinary level of humanity, except in the most conventional sense of his social status. Moreover, in ...