Machiavelli And Socrates Similarities

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Essay #1 - The Prince and the Laws
Both Socrates and Machiavelli had very similar conditions that shaped their views on government. Socrates lived during a time of war and political instability. When Socrates was younger, he fought in the Peloponnesian War, a war that was lost by the Greeks. The victor, Sparta, took control of the government and ruled through the Thirty Tyrants. Eventually, this government was driven out and a new unstable government was formed. Similarly, Machiavelli sought a unified Italy and an end to the violence and political instability that plagued the region. Although both Socrates and Machiavelli experienced political instability and political fragmentation, Socrates would not view Machiavelli’s concept of a
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