The Amoral Prince free essay sample

Machiavelli presents his stance on morality first through his rejection of morality as a viable framework, and second through his promotion of virtu, glory, and reputation, which brings considerations outside of the amoral nature of the search for power. It is clear that Machiavelli has higher priorities than the moral actions of the prince. We will write a custom essay sample on The Amoral Prince or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He regularly rejects morality as a necessity, opting instead generally for that which creates stability. â€Å"This leads us to a question that is in dispute: Is it better to be loved than feared, or vice versa? My reply is one ought to be both loved and feared; but, since it is difficult to accomplish both at the same time, I maintain it is much safer to be feared than loved†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (51) Here he spurns the idea that love, a generally accepted goal of those seeking the moral high ground, is relevant to the higher goal of the safety of the prince. Some would contend that Machiavelli is promoting evil by promoting fear over love, but he doesn’t ever promote evil when it is not called for, only when it is most efficacious. In this instance he simply felt being feared was the safer alternative. Evil for the sake of itself is actively discouraged. â€Å"[the prince] should do what is right if he can; but he must be prepared to do wrong if necessary†(55) Here what is necessary is what maintains power, but with that necessity absent, honorable actions are preferable. Machiavelli does obviously have some moral compass, as he feels that good actions do have a value over evil actions when power is not a consideration. For the leader though, power is always a consideration, and subsequently morals are never the most pressing goal. Instead of worrying about his own morals, the leader needs to instead worry about their absence in others: Anyone who wants to act the part of a good man in all circumstances will bring about his own ruin, for those he has to deal with will not all be good. So it is necessary for a ruler, if he wants to hold on to power, to learn how not to be good, and to know when it is and when it is not necessary to use this knowledge. (48) The implication here is that in a world with all good men, a leader would be able to lead through only good actions. As this is not the case, leaders are forced to beat evil doers at their own game when necessary. In addition to trying to outsmart those who would do evil against the prince, the prince should also make efforts to discourage future acts of evil by others, and subsequently prevent future necessitation of his own harsh acts: Well used cruelty(if one can speak well of evil) one may call those atrocities that are commited at a stroke, in order to secure one’s power, and are then not repeated, rather every effort is made to ensure one’s subjects benefit in the long run. 30) From this it is evident that cruelty should never be a goal in itself, as it alienates ones subjects, which has its own harms. Machiavelli gives us Maximinus as an example: [he] had acquired a reputation for terrible cruelty†¦ So everybody was†¦ agitated with hatred arising from their fear of his ferocity. First Africa rebelled, and then the senate and the whole population of Rome; soon all Ital y was conspiring against him. His own army turned against him†¦ Seing so many united against him, they lost their fear of him and killed him. 62) So it is clear that Machiavelli is not in favor of evil; it causes a populace to turn against its leader. If the populace’s fear of punishments and interventions by the prince rivals their fear of having an unstable state, they will have no reason to further support the prince. Machiavelli’s prince should be viewed as generally moral, even if occasionally he is not, in order to promote stability and respect towards himself. Again, this is not for the sake of morals, but for the sake of the kingdom’s maintenance. As a general rule, Machiavelli does not respect morals as an important part of being a leader, though he doesn’t actively disdain them. The appearance of morals has its own important ends, of causing the populace to respect their ruler, but this is not the same as being an actually moral person. From this one would conclude that Machiavelli is a promoter of amoralism, but as we will see he does have respect for some goals beyond only power and stability. In many ways glory is the means to causing respect, and resultantly stability, â€Å"[Ferdinand of Aragon’s] deeds have followed one another so closely that he has never left space between one and the next for people to plot uninterruptedly against him†(68) In this instance by constantly maintaining an honorable reputation, Ferdinand was able to avoid any maintained criticisms of himself, which compounded could have lead to unrest. Prior examples have shown glory, virtu and reputation is merely another means to an end, not an end in itself, but there are quite a few hints that glory is something to be sought for its own sake: Men are much more impressed by what goes on in the present than by what happened in the past†¦ So they will spring to a new ruler’s defense, provided he plays his part properly. Thus, he will be doubly glorious†¦ just as he is doubly shamed who, being born a ruler, has lost power through lack of skill in ruling (73) Here it is notable that glory(and its inverse, shame) are quantified. Were these simply means to state stability, it is expected that a ruler should achieve exactly as much as is necessary. Instead, glory is something that should be sought, and shame avoided, in quantity. It seems more notable that one can be ‘doubly shamed’. For consistency with the premise that maintenance of power is the end goal, any loss of it would seem the ultimate shame. In this case it seems more about the spectacularity of the failure, and presumably the endurance of the subsequent shame in public memory. Glory and reputation then seem to be partly a search for a lasting memory of greatness within the public consciousness, not just for the preservation of the state. Glory is not only its own end, but it is one that can only be achieved through moral means, â€Å"One ought not, of course, to call it virtu to massacre one’s fellow citizens, to betray one’s friends, to break one’s word, to be without mercy and without religion. By such means one can acquire power but not glory. (28) This is an interesting contrast with Machiavelli’s many statements to the effect of doing whatever maintains power is best, good or bad. There is still an implication that it is better to have power without glory, than it is to have neither. Still, it is clear that glory is something desirable of itself, and that it cannot be achieved through immoral means. A prince then, once he has attained his power, must have moral considerations at heart. Machiavelli’s prince is by no means an immoral or even amoral actor, though he may occasionally commit immoral acts, in the search for power. Clearly, morals do play into the search for a lasting reputation, which is by Machiavelli’s estimation at least equally, if not more important than power alone, â€Å"Above all a ruler should make every effort to ensure that whatever he does it gains him a reputation as a great man, a person who excels. †(68) This great man cannot become so simply by being an acceptable leader, one who holds power but does not use it towards his reputation. Yes, Machiavelli does teach us that evil acts are occasionally necessary, but purely as a means towards the stable foundation that allows a ruler to lead with success and morality.

College Essay Topics Stunning Ideas about Life in College

College Essay Topics Stunning Ideas about Life in College College essays are the most crucial essays in a student’s life as they have a great effect on one’s future. Gaining seats in college is getting harder day-by-day as the number of applicants for a single seat are increasing. So, the only way to improve your chances to get into a college of your choice is by writing an outstanding personal essay as a part of the college application. A college essay may be only 500 words long but can make a big difference in your entrance competition. An interesting college essay can change your rejection into acceptance. It all depends on how you write an essay as it will show your talent and help admission committee to differentiate you from other students.   A college essay provides additional information about the student which cannot be judged by regular tests, grades or extracurricular activities. An interesting college essay must be appealing so that it draws reader’s attention and makes the writer an exceptional student. You can write an essay describing yourself or the activities you are interested in. The main thing which must be taken into consideration while writing your college essay is to keep on expressing how great, how genuine, how smart you are! You can also write about some incidents in your life which inspired you or which have motivated you to create your ambitions. The main point of your essay should be the originality and unique look of your essay, which increases the attractiveness. A college essay must be concise and realistic as it will make your essay more persuasive and appealing. Special attention must be given while choosing the topic. College essay topics are easy to find but your main aim should be to decorate it with your writing skills. On its completion it must be presented in such a way that it captures everybody’s attention. You can write about the plans you have after finishing your college. You can describe your genuine thoughts, future plans. You can express your goals in life, how they can serve others and make your dreams fulfilled. Similarly, you can write why you have chosen this profession or carrier, why this degree is important for you. If you need some assistance in accordance with your essays you can seek for our advice and we will gladly help you. You can get any type of professional help from our high skilled writers who have already graduated and are highly experienced. Here is a list of the best college essay topics: Organizational Behavior Human Sexuality Psychology of Women Art Appreciation Information Technology in Business Management Applied Managerial Marketing Physiological Psychology Christian Theology Affirmative Action Hispanic American Diversity Children and Violence Taxation Restorative Justice Developing E-Commerce Solutions Capital Punishment Advanced General Psychology Breast Cancer ECON 201 Money and Banking Demonstrate Basic to Advanced Features of Spreadsheet Software Managerial Accounting and Organizational Controls Illegal Immigration Legal and Ethical Decision-Making Commercial Transactions and International Law Financial Management for Human Service Administrators The Importance of British Literature in Understanding Our World Today

Kraft Foods Corporation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kraft Foods Corporation - Assignment Example Kraft Foods Corporation, launched in 1903, is the leading drinks and cuisines firm in N. America and the subsequent most prominent corporation globally. Therefore, nothing speaks to the Kraft Foods corporate values more than the company’s relentless concern on safety of food. The company ensures that it consumers use its brands with confidence and without fear of contracting some health problems. Â  In connection to this, environmental, anti-biotech team tests have concluded that taco shells brand contained a certain protein (Cry9C), a pesticide is unproven for consumption by human, ((Kraft Foods Co., 1995).. The corn now only approved for utilization in animal feed since the issue concerning whether the product could cause unhealthy reactions to human beings is unclear. Test provided by an environmental, anti-biotech team confirmed harmful corn traces in a taco shell brand, which had been bought in the suburb of Washington, and laboratory tests by Kraft Company confirmed sim ilar results, (Kraft Foods Co., 1998). Â  Therefore, in response to this claim, Kraft Foods Company, a Phillip Morris Company division, announce an intentional recall of the whole Taco Bell line of production such as Taco shells home original 12 and 18 and taco kits and seasoning 12, until the company will be confident that genetically modified corns are no more in the company meals. Irrespective of the claims, Kraft Company affirms that there are no human health threats from the corn (Kraft Foods Co., 1998).