Machiavelli's Argument Analysis

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Aristotle was also an ancient Greek philosopher, was born in 384 B.C. He was a student in Plato’s Academy and was a tutor for Alexander the Great. He eventually moved on to create his own school in Athens, where he wrote about many different topics including politics, ethics and poetry, etc. Aristotle wrote Politics as a tool to explain political communities of the time, where they fell short and what to improve on. Aristotle wanted to explain in his book, Politics, that there were six forms of government, and he identifies each of these governments as being either true or defective. (Lorde 2013, 74). Aristotle believed that governments that have a regard for the principles of justice and common interest are true forms and those whose rule …show more content…
Aristotle would not have agreed with the notion that it is better to be feared than loved because his objective was to protect the common good. On the other hand, Machiavelli’s aim was to protect the ruler and the power of governing. They do both agree that when ruling it is best to leave their people to their own devices, Aristotle thinking it is better for the governed and Machiavelli thinking it would be beneficial to power. (Lorde 2013, …show more content…
They both do agree however, that it is essential, but differ when discussing the context. Plato in, The Republic believes that in the state of nature people are inherently good but Hobbes would argue that people do what it takes to best protect themselves. Hobbes in Leviathan suggests that “through vanity, or comparison, or appetite” humans will be provoked into aggression (Gaskin, J. C. 2008, 64). In The Republic and Leviathan there is some type of government, they both recognized that having a hierarchy would potentially stop society from collapsing. Plato believes that having a higher class to guide citizens to act morally would benefit a society, being the justice and law within the
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