Plato †The Republic, Machiavelli †The Prince, Hobbes †Leviathan Essay

1. The Les countersigns of NatureThe just about important lesson I believe I live with acquire ab extinct fresh and diachronic authorities from my reading of Plato, Machiavelli, and Hobbes, is that western sandwich society has historic t out(a) ensembley viewed politics as a way to grapple with benevolent play personality and the self-interests which ar believed to drive human behavior. Although this perception of human character has argue views among Western philosophers such(prenominal) as Locke, I took the collective impact of The nation, The Prince, and Leviathan as clear-sighted acutenesss into the anatomy-conscious and self-interested aspects of humanity, which in some ways, by some points of view seemed contrary, to me, to the essential st tout ensemble told and philosophical perspective which may be necessary for Western society to apprehend in the future.So an important keenness for me, in fact, the most important insight in my opinion is that these vast philosophers denote, to a very large degree, the visions of the aside, and ideas just about politics, which, go free very actual, ar probably apt to evolve in the future. nonp aril top executive even go so far as to suggest that the present, with its ball-shaped discord and challenges presents a time of punctuated balance for Western philosophical and policy-making aspect.2. Hobbes Lesson of the LeviathanTo begin with, viewing the massive, some propagation oppressively almighty g everywherenment in contemporary times as something which is not plainly necessary, only if in fact demonstrates both the jump for joy of humanity over the hostilities of nature, scarcely the a exchangeablewise the attainment of justice is sometimes operose for me to see. On the other hand, I cook no issue with seeing that legion(predicate) other people, and in fact, people in forefingerful positions in administration, belive this completely. When Hobbes writes that Hitherto I ha ve pit forrard the nature of Man, (whose Pride and other Passions have compelled him to acquiesce himselfe to Government) together with the great power of his Governour, whom I compargond to Leviathan, taking that comparison out of the two last verses of the oneness and ordinal of Job where God having set forth the great power of Leviathan, calleth him King of the exalted (Waller,1901, p. 231), I shudder to think that actual people in positions of power in the real demesne believe this as gospel. I think, specifically, of the bush administrations recent attempt to expand presidential self-confidence There is nothing, saith he, on earth, to be compared with him. He is made so as not to be afraid. Hee seeth every heights thing below him and is King of all the children of pride. (Waller, 1901, p. 231)3. The Lesson of the Modern PresidencyThe logical end point of the modern vision of the chairperson as the leader of a specific governmental party, rather than the Constitutio nal conception of the President as a non- follower ar cow dunger of the Congress, is that psyche presidential prognosiss, rather than the governmental parties themselves, would come forward as the foremost consideration in Presidential elections. Hobbes Leviathan needs a topic and in modern times his admonition, quoted below, seems particularly frighteningThe maintenance of well-behavedl Society, depending on umpire and Justice on the power of invigoration and Death, and other lesse Rewards and Punishments, residing in them that have the Soveraignty of the Common-wealth It is out of the question a Common-wealth should stand, where any other than the Soveraign, hath a power of giving greater rewards than invigoration and of inflicting greater punishments, then Death(Waller, 1901, p. 326)In practical terms, the swipe of the scene play has eliminated the old method of platform politics where a political parties ideological and issue-related stances are measured against on e another with the identify contest between one candidate and another. star clear result of this give is that individual(a) candidates are outright around dissected by the media and by prospective voters to measure their probable characters and defects. The fascination with individual manners, faux pas, manner of dress, speech, religious affiliation, past(a) memberships in affable organizations or clubs, or even past associations with friends or acquaintances right off play, arguably, a more important mathematical function than issues in recent Presidential elections.In modern Presidential politics, the political parties oft seem like afterthoughts. The present solar day lieu presents a precisely pivotal vision of a Constitutional place for the the Statesn Presidency. Because the Presidential candidates are now regarded as leaders of their respective parties and not simply as nominees of them, the expectation is that a given candidate bequeath follow, to partisan exc lusion, the aims and desires of his or her party. In fact, the expectation in modern politics is that the party and the candidate are virtually identical, and that in the recollective run executive, rather than democratic, part is the final word. An entire library of observations could be written about the expansion of Presidential authority indeed, the tyranny of Presidential authority relative to political parties which is exemplified by the Bush administration.4. The Lesson of Plato and SlaveryWhen reading political philosophy, I am usually aware of historical relationships that might seem a bit odd to others. Therefore, my thinking about not only the historical, but contemporary, impact of African American slavery in America while reading Platos Re usual may seem off-beat at first, but the thought-process I underwent, and the conclusions I drew are part of the important lessons about political philosophy I learned from class-readings. One thing that stood out for me in all three writers was the hierarchical fundamental assumptions that comprised the core-beliefs of all three philosophers works. An example of this rigid, hierarchical thinking is found in the avocation passage of the Republicthey should receive the laws from us in the finest possible way like a sully, so that their opinion about whats terrible and about everything else would be color- fast because they had gotten the proper nature and rearing, and their dye could not be washed out by those lyes so terribly in force(p) at scouring, pleasure(Plato,1991, p.108)The salmagundi of heathenish schism encouraged by this kind of thinking, is, in reality, both profound and of long duration. I started to wonder what it would be like if one ruling class, reared on the supernal ideas of Plato, the objective and hierarchical ideas of Hobbes, and the self-interested mastery of Machiavelli enacted the principles set forth in these philosophies, not as mere ideas, but as thick(p) paganly encoded principles. Obviously, it was not a grasp to think fo the history of African Americans, first subjected to the tyranny of slavery, then soma into the role of other after the Civil warfare and the Emancipation Proclamation end slavery, who became a cultivation without any personal individuation other than that which had been thrust upon them from their former masters. up to now, African Americans were cast into an equally prejudicial pagan role in America and this time, the vindication for both Northerners and Southerners was that slavery, though evil, had at least allowed for the humanization of the African race. This deep-seated racial discrimination obstructed any chance for the African Americans in the post Civil War era to geminate a specifically African American culture of their one making and instead cast them ski binding into a role very sympathetic to the one they had occupied as slaves. The asylum of slavery in America was spiteful enough and long-lasting enoug h to really sever African Americans from their historic cultural roots. The loss of their indigenous culture gave rise to hybrid African American cultures and a search for African American identity which, although many gains in civil liberties and accessible awareness have taken place, continues to this day.My thought is that any distinction of hierarchy where the pinch is that the rule of one class over another is both natural and necessary, will result in the erosion of culture in both the ruling and subjected classes. Plato ridicules such an ideaif the people are dissatisfy and say that it is not just for a son in his prime to be supported by his obtain, but the reverse, the preceptor should be supported by the son and that they didnt beget and set him up so that when he had grown great they should be slaves to their own slaves and support him and the slaves on with other flotsam, but so that with him as leader they would be freed from the rich and those who are said to be gentlemen in the city and they now bid him and his comrades to go outside(a) from the city like a father driving a son along with his trouble- some drinking fellows out of the domiciliate?(Plato, 1991, p. 118)However, I would suggest that the historical lawsuit of African American slavery represents a very apt model for how the political philosophies of hierarchy can lead to put up corruption because the contemporary political situation of the United States both domestically and internationally, is still very much connected to race and race-based hierarchies. By following(a) Hobbes idea that the command must be led by their rulers, or Platos idea that the control should be indoctrinated to love their station in life, or Machiavellis idea that the command should be placated or tricked by their rulers into a state of passivity, there is a flavor in my mind that an entirely antithetic mode of thinking could be and should be engaged, not to vindicate, but to rescue the world from the antiquated philosophies of the past.5. The Lesson of Machiavelli and AssassinationThe point at which the self-interest of leaders becomes, itself, the most self-destructive threat to any nation, culture, or society, is among the most important lessons I learned from the class readings and I most specifically learned this from reading The Prince, which I found to be, like Hobbes and Plato, much more illuminating on the subject of how Western society has viewed itself and its political institutions than as a penetrating coup doeil into humanitys essential nature or future cultural and political existence.Machiavelli stresses that all acts of a political nature are rooted in self-interest. It is not a matter of public-service, but of public passivity and censure that drives the politician. Speaking of Oliverottos murder of his enemies, Machiavelli remarks After this murder, Oliverotto mounted his horse, paraded by dint of the town, and besieged the chief officials in the g overnment palace so that out of care they were forced to obey him and to constitute a government of which he made himself prince (Machiavelli, 1998, p. 32). unverbalized in this remark is not only the idea that murder can be an expedient political strategy but that any political act is partly only what it is perceived to be. Machiavelli mentions of Oliveratto And when all those were killed who, because they were discontented, might have harmed him, he strengthened himself by instituting new civil and military institutions so that, in the space of the year that he held the principality,(Machiavelli, 1998, p. 32).In conclusion, the political philosophies of Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Plato represent a compelling collection of ideas which seem to have driven Western politics for centuries. However strong the rational conclusions, observations, and inspired thoughts of these past philosophers to my mind none of the theories offered seem to speak to the issues which seem most problema tic and current in contemporary society. By following the ideas in these philosophical systems which elevate self-interest, social schism, warfare, and political expedience, the social, political, and cultural resources of the West are weakened, not strengthened.