Biography of and Principles Taught By Niccolo Machiavelli...

Machiavelli Essay: Question 1 Born in the 15th century, Niccolà ² Machiavelli was an Italian historian, politician, philosopher, diplomat and humanist. Following his career as an official in the Florentine Republic, Machiavelli was a founder of modern political science and political ethics. In the political treatise The Prince, written in 1532, Machiavelli outlines several key traits of a successful princedom such as; how to incorporate newly acquired provinces, the most successful way to conquer territories, the establishment of successful defense and military forces, as well as qualities which would make for the most desirable prince. Machiavelli also brings to attention the pitfalls of previous Italian princes as to prevent the same†¦show more content†¦The increase on virtue shifted the public’s attitude away from chance and towards ambition and risk taking. Machiavelli outlines several steps that princes can take in order to create a successful principality. When analyzing the success of principalities, a balance of state interests with those of the individual’s must exist. The original moral basis for princely rule focused on domination and forced subjection, whereas the new basis suggesting the gain of citizen support as well as appearance of generosity and the ability to balance cruelty and mercy. The observation that a change is necessary can be seen through the lines, â€Å"He who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather learn to bring his own ruin than his preservation† (Machiavelli 56). Machiavelli believed that the rulers of Italy had lost their states as a result of ignoring the political and military principles he believed attributes to a successful ruler. Throughout The Prince Machiavelli outlines and offers advice to future rulers with the hopes that they will improve themselves and thus improve the society as a whole as shown in the quote, â€Å"Whoever considers the past and the present will readily observe that all cities and all people are end ever have been animated by the same desires and the same passions;† (Machiavelli 216). Several of the pieces of advice Machiavelli offers include: It is betterShow MoreRelatedEssay about Niccolo Machiavelli1653 Words   |  7 Pages According to legend, just before his death, Niccolo Machiavelli told his friends that had remained faithful to him up until the very end about a dream he had had. In his dream, he had seen a group of peasants, wretched and decrepit in appearance. He asked them who they were. They replied, ‘We are the saintly and the blessed; we are on our way to heaven.’ Then he saw a crowd of formally attired men, aristocratic and grim in appearance, speak ing solemnly of important political matters. Again, heRead MoreThe Life And Importance Of Machiavelli Essay1367 Words   |  6 PagesLife and Importance of Machiavelli â€Å"There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless† (Niccolà ² Quotes). Niccolà ² Machiavelli was one of the greatest influences on our world today. His research and philosophies explored new strategies and ways of thinking. Machiavelli was before his own timeRead MoreThe Evolution of the Hero1960 Words   |  8 Pagesmissionaries and priests preparing for salvation. The Renaissance challenged this bleak vision. Part of the challenge came from 14th century Italy s rediscovery of the classical literature of ancient Greece and Rome. The histories of Tacitus, the biographies of Plutarch, but above all the letters and speeches of the orator Cicero opened the classical world anew. What they all emphasized was man s capacity for greatness.   It was the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch, who usheredRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesgravity or to be confident about sending astronauts into space to repair satellites. But as a noted behavioral researcher observed, â€Å"God gave all the easy problems to the physicists.† Human beings are complex, and few, if any, simple and universal principles explain organizational behavior. Because we are not alike, our ability to make simple, accurate, and sweeping generalizations is limited. Challenges and Opportunities for OB 15 Two people often act very differently in the same situation

Self Concept Paper Free Essays

Self Concept Paper Although, many people like and dislike many of their physical appearances they have to cope with the fact that they can not change them and that their unique characteristics make them who they are. My favorite characteristic is my hair; I like my hair because it is long and curly. I can do a number of different styles with my hair such as straightening it, making it wavy or leaving it curly. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Concept Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’ve never been bothered with my hair because my hair is unique and not many people have the type of curls that I do. Another one of my favorite characteristics is my eyes and eyelashes. I like my eyes because they have a nice shape; like an almond their not to big nor are they too small. My eyelashes are super long, I cut them in fourth grade because I thought they were too long but luckily they grew back at a good length. I also like my legs; I like my legs because they have a nice muscle tone and their not to big. One of my traits that I don’t like is my teeth. I don’t like my teeth because I have a gap. They’re not that bad because they’re all straight but my gap irritates me bad. My feet is another characteristic that I don’t like about myself, the reason I don’t like my feet is because is because they’re too wide and my toes are chunky. Even though, we like to think we don’t relate to anyone and we’re our own person; the truth is that we do, humans share many traits with each other. I like to think that I am caring, hardworking and honest. I’m thoughtful because I care for other people; I like to know what’s going on with people and if something is on their mind. I’m a hard worker because I strive to do my best at anything I do, I don’t like to see myself fail at any goal I’m trying to accomplish. I’m truthful because I’ve been lied to as a child and in the past. The feeling of being lied to hurts, it makes someone feel as though their feelings or emotions don’t matter and that their not strong enough to handle the truth. Me personally, I would never want to lie to someone and put them through anything they shouldn’t have to go through. One bad thing about me is that I’m judgmental, I judge people before I even get the chance to meet them or even know what their like. If I see someone I stereotype them and until I really get to know the person well, I always just have those thoughts. Another thing about me is that I’m naive. I believe anything anyone tells me; someone can tell me there’s a fire in my house while I’m in it and ill say â€Å"where? † The worst thing about me is my attitude. I have a bad attitude and if I don’t like someone it definitely shows, but I have frequent mood swings. If I’m having a bad day or someone frustrated me, half my day will be ruined and ill take it out on everyone else but not intentionally. I have a well rounded personality, I feel as though I’m a easy person to get along with; I’m helpful, friendly, and trustworthy. I like to be beneficial to anyone who needs it, everyone needs a helping hand every once in a while and need someone to help them get on their feet; I like to be that person. I’m extremely outgoing I like to have a good time and enjoy myself know matter where I’m at. I don’t like anyone feeling left out so I always try to make the person I’m with have as much as a good time I’m having. Having someone who is dependable is important. Everyone needs that one friend who they can run to and tell all there secrets to and not second guess them even telling a soul, I feel as though I’m very reliable. A few negative personality traits I have are being shy, stubborn and not talkative. I’m very timid around people I don’t know or around people I feel uncomfortable with, but once I get to know you very welcoming and outgoing. If I don’t know you, I wont talk to you or try to conversate with you, I’m not talkative to people I’m not familiar with. The worst personality trait I have is being stubborn. If I could change me being stubborn I definitely would. Being obstinate can cause a lot of conflict especially with other obstinate people; if things don’t go my way I become highly frustrated very fast. I interviewed three people and how they view me as an individual, I wasn’t too surprise with the responses I received because I can see why they would think that way about me. Some positive things that were said about me are that I’m very responsible, dependable and hardworking. I, myself had also thought I was hardworking; I like to achieve all my goals and get everything done. I’m reliable because everyone knows if they ask me to do something and I’m able to do it, it will get done. That’s sort of where my perfectionist kicks in, where everything has to be done right and in order. A few negative things that my family thought was being hardheaded, impatient and having a bad attitude. I admit that I’m hardheaded because I don’t listen to what people tell me even if they know for a fact it’s a bad decision. I like to make my own mistakes and learn from them because if you don’t learn from your mistakes you’re going to keep making them. I also agree that I’m intolerant because I have no patience to wait for anything. I get easily frustrated when something takes longer than it has to. I take my school work and jobs very seriously, so when it comes to school I work I don’t play around and try my hardest to do everything the way it’s suppose to be and to do everything on time. I’m extremely hard working; I strive to do my best in any and everything I do so I can make something out of myself. I’m a very driven person when it comes to something important because if you loose sight of the big picture, your goals or ambitions you will be lost in the long run and it will take you longer to get to where you want to be. I’m so determined to make something of myself because my whole life I’ve seen my family struggling just to make ends meet and I don’t want to see myself in their shoes, I want to succeed and be someone in the future. I do have a few negative attribute when it comes to performance at school or work, just like everyone else. I’m easily sidetracked because when I’m focused on something I want done and another thing pops up or needs to be done such as cleaning, phone calls or picking up my sister I’ll do it with out finishing the first thing I was doing. I’m most distracted when I’m in school because if I get a text message or phone call while taking notes or listening to a lecture I loose concentration. Being a procrastinator is the worst trait I think I could have picked up on because I throw important things to the backburner, thinking I will do it when I’m ready or when I’m finished with something and I end up forgetting about it all together. I’m often sluggish because I go to school Monday through Thursdays and work everyday, so sometimes I won’t finish or accomplish many things such as homework, projects or studying because I just want sit around, rest or sleep all day. Throughout the day, I’m a pretty laid back relaxed person. I get things done in that process though. I keep myself motivated because if I’m not motivated I won’t succeed but I’m a very organized person and that shows that I care about my priorities. My biggest problem that I’ve dealt with my whole life is waking up late. I tend to sleep in or over sleep most of the time, that’s not a good attribute because I waste my entire day by sleeping and sometimes I’m late to class and miss parts of a lectures. Throughout the day I find myself cleaning up after my self and other all the time. I’m too much of a clean freak, I usually annoy people who are with or around me and because I’m always straightening up the house. A non-clean person irritates me to death, it makes me mad when people don’t clean up after their selves. When it comes to mental functioning I like to think of myself as a multitasked person, very curious and spontaneous, independent, antagonistic, horrible at math and having a bad memory. Being able to do a lot of things at once is a positive attribute to me as long as your doing all the things correct; I can get many things done at one time while doing an impressive job. I like the fact that I’m curious and spontaneous, I like to discover and try new things because we only live once. My friends love hanging out with me and anyways ask me about things to do. I’m a very independent person who doesn’t like to seek help from others, I like to do things on my own and provide for myself, it makes me feel good. I feel as though I need to work for what I want because nothing is ever given to you. Math is my worst subject and I’ve always struggled with it throughout my life, but I’ve come to realize that I am not the only person with that problem. Now that I am in college and need to take 3 more semesters of math I seek help from the math tutors and by doing that I have learned a great amount, math is beginning to become understanding instead of stressful. Having a bad memory is a bad attribute that I have I can never remember important things that I’m suppose to remember. If I’m having a conversation with someone and I get sidetracked I’ll forget my entire train of thought. My friends and family get frustrated with me when I forget things. How to cite Self Concept Paper, Papers

The Middle Ages free essay sample

The Middle Ages come into being around A. D. 500, which was after the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed. They lasted to about A. D. 1400 and are referenced to as a period of time that experienced violence by Barbaric invasion, feudalism, disease, and strong feelings for faith. The Dark Ages, the Age of Feudalism and the Age of Faith are all appropriate titles, however the label that best fits is the Age of Faith because of the political, economic and social influence the church held. The middle ages are often identified as the Dark Age because of the Black Death, invasions by the Barbarians, and because of lack of enlightenment for the common people. A plague most likely originating from Asia spread throughout Europe. Towns and even large cities had no garbage collection or a sewage system and this caused the crowded towns to become filthy and attract rats (OI). The Black Death caused social unrest and people pondered what was going on; many believed that God was punishing them while others claimed the Jews were to blame. With the Black Death overtaking the lives of everyone there were not many achievements or educational advancements during this time as all focus was on trying to get through the plague. After the fall of the Roman Empire there was no stable centralized government in Rome. Different Barbarian civilizations began invasions in Europe. According to historian Frantz Funk-Brentano they raided and destroyed villages and left the people in terror. Brentano also said that to avoid the violence people tried to abandon their fields. Churches and entire towns were burned down; the town of Dordrecht was burned down by Barbarian tribes such as the Vikings triggered chaos (Doc. 3). This caused people to abandon their lifestyles and that meant a decline in trade, which brought down the economy. During this period of time most people were illiterate and they did not go to school. Instead they learned different skills and jobs from their parents, apprenticeships, and the guild system. One of the few ways to become educated was to join the clergy where Priests and Monks would learn Latin. OI) It took dedication to become a part of the clergy, A Brother taking his monastic vows had to renounce everyone he knew and everything he had including his free will (Doc. 8). Not everyone was able to become a part of the clergy so they were reliant on these people to share the word of God from them. The Dark Ages had negative impact because the increased reliance on the church gave them even more power, and this challenged Kings and created potential political tension. During the middle ages the lack of protection and a stable government after the Fall of Rome created the need for a new political system. Feudalism was the political system that emerged and shaped the lives of people socially and politically. Manors were small communities that were made up of a castle, church, village, and land for farming. The structured society provided a place and responsibility for everyone. The feudal obligations showed that in exchange for one thing they would be provided with something else. Serfs and peasants would work and produce goods for the rest of the manor and in return had their land and promised protection. The vassals would need to obtain land from the Lord and in return would provide the Lord with military service, loyalty, and ransom if asked for (Doc. 4). To make clear the vassal’s specific allegiance to their lord whom they owed in for exchange for their fief they would take the Homage Oath (Doc. 2). This interdependent system required everyone to do their part and it created social classes that they were born into. Their daily lives were centered on the manor and that was how it stayed until towns began to grow into cities after the crusades (OI). Feudalism had positive bearings because it was the solution for decentralized government and lack of protection but also held people back due to lack of social mobility. The Age of Faith is most accurate for describing the Middle Ages because of the political, social and economic influence the church held. Feudalism was still not providing one united central government but instead many small ones and so the church gained a governmental authority over Western Europe. People were all working to try to get into Heaven, and because of that there was a lot of control over telling people what to do. The church could excommunicate people and even Kings if they felt that they were refusing to comply (OI). This gave the church power over the Kings because they controlled who would not be allowed to return to the church; if someone were excommunicated they would not be able to reach Heaven. At the time the bible was written in Latin, which only could be read to the common people by a clergy member who could explain what was written. With the reliance on the church the pope’s words and explanations were taken as God’s. The Truce of God stated different peace agreements, which they enforced by exerting their power and influence (Doc. 5). The Crusades were a major part of this because the church declared to try to capture the Holy land. Pope Urban II called for people to join the Holy Crusade and persuaded them by saying that those who agreed to fight during the crusades were promised entrance into heaven and forgiveness of sins (Doc. 9). This was the beginning of economic expansion because the crusaders became accustomed with the culture and goods. Trade opened up and port/merchant cities developed. Church also dominated sectors of society such as architecture, which began to grow because during the age of Faith having a Cathedral gave a town an identity. Gothic Cathedrals had dramatic features and stood out in height and important in comparison to other structures in the towns (Doc. 10). The church also issued a tithe tax, which was 1/10 of a person’s income to go towards building churches, monasteries, convents, and universities (OI). The Church’s control and influence over Western Europe was sometimes used for corrupt purposes and persuasion but that was not only the case because it brought prosperity to the economy. The Middle Ages can also be stated as the Age of Faith because the main center of attention and one’s purpose in life was to serve God and live righteously. More than one title can be assigned to the Middle Ages due to the overlapping of events but the Age of Faith applied almost continuously to the lives of people throughout the Middle Ages while other labels such as the Dark Age and the Age of Feudalism represented certain periods of it.