The Image of the Perfect Land in Machiavelli's The Prince and Plato's Republic

Many individuals in history have expounded on perfect rulers and states and how to look after them. Maybe the most discussed and thought about are Machiavelli's, The Prince and Plato's, The Republic. Machiavelli inhabited a period when Italy was experiencing its political demolition. The Prince, was composed to portray the routes by which a pioneer may pick up and look after power. In Plato’s, The Republic, he disentangles the meaning of equity. Plato trusted that a ruler couldn't be entirely quite recently unless one was in a general public that was likewise just. His state and ruler was improved up to comprehend the importance of equity. It was not expected to be honed like that of Machiavelli's. Regardless of the numerous distinctions found between Plato's The Republic, and Machiavelli's The Prince, everyone wants a ruler who is plotted to have the best level of virtue. Nonetheless, their varying perspectives on what virtue involves has formed their convictions on the parts that a pioneer must hold. While Plato characterized virtue as the immaculate harmony between making progress toward a definitive truth, insight, bravery, and restraint, Machiavelli trusted virtue to be a person's consistent adventure towards his own particular glorification. The varying perspectives that Plato's and Machiavelli's hang on what characterizes virtue are the premise behind the distinction in their convictions on what the moral obligations of a ruler to the nationals are. Through this paper will compare and contrast Plato’s and Machiavelli’s account of virtue, what are the virtues that each identifies as valuable for political life, how do these virtues contribute to the heath of the state, in what ways do their accounts of virtue depart from one another, and what do they tell us about how each of them approaches political life.

In Plato’s, The Republic, he says that a vital part of virtue is the human soul, in the book he states, “we agree that justice is virtue of soul, and injustice, vice” (The Republic, 353e). He argues that there are three distinct components of the soul and calls them reason, appetite, and spirit. Appetite is the part of the soul that is human like, lusting for bodily pleasures and itches, reason that which is concerned with calculation and rational thought, and spirit the part associated with emotions. After having established the various parts of the soul, Plato then makes the claim that virtue lies in keeping the components of the soul in the correct relations. Reason should guide the soul, making decisions and determining what is wrong and right, spirit should follow reason and provide motivation, and appetite should obey. Virtue on this account seems to be nothing but a magic proportion or some sort of balance of the soul, having nothing to do knowledge or decision making. For Plato, a person’s virtue consists in his knowledge of the good. It’s not that a person is knowledgeable about some things or at sometimes and is therefore virtuous in some respects and un-virtuous in others (John Alison Pg.1-2). Someone possessing knowledge of the good is able to determine the good in all decisions, at all times, and will thus be virtuous unconditionally. In Plato, he defines his ideal leader to be a philosopher king. A philosopher king has four unique virtues which are wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice. In the book he states, “Then, as it seems, with respect to a city's virtue, this power that consists in each man's minding his own business in the city is a rival to wisdom, moderation, and courage” (433d).

In Machiavelli’s, The Prince, he characterizes virtues as qualities that are commended by others, for example, liberality, sympathy, and devotion. He contends that a prince ought to dependably attempt to seem upright, however that acting temperately for virtue's purpose can demonstrate hindering to the realm (Elvin Jesus). A prince ought not really stay away from indecencies, for example, pitilessness or untrustworthiness if utilizing them will profit the state. Mercilessness and different indecencies ought not be sought after for their own particular purpose, similarly as virtue ought not be sought after for its own purpose: virtues and indecencies ought to be imagined as unfortunate chore. Each move the prince influences must to be considered in light of its effect on the state, not similar to its trademark great regard (Jesus). Virtue is important to Machiavelli as he believes it will ultimately help a leader gain power. In the Prince he states, “unless he has an extremely high level of ability and virtù he can’t be expected to know how to command, having always lived as an ordinary citizen” (The Prince, Pg.13). In Plato's, The Republic, A philosopher's information is required for teaching the 'political virtues' in the character of the citizens of the just city, however the teaching of such virtues is not a definitive end of the city or its instruction. Securing the political virtues is required for managing the standard demands of life, connecting with others, and for fostering the control of desires and emotions necessary for undertaking rigorous scholarly request (Stanford University). Be that as it may, as per the considerable Neoplatonist philosopher, Plotinus (204-270AD), the political virtues must be abandoned 13 when one attains the more prominent, more celestial virtues associated with the perception of simply clear objects.

Machiavelli is about outcomes. He trusts that you characterize something in legislative issues not by its innate greatness, but rather by its result. For political virtue is separate from singular flawlessness. A pioneer might be straightforward, unselfish and moral, however in the event that he begins a war that later demonstrated superfluous and executed many individuals, he needs virtue — regardless of being on an individual level extremely thoughtful. On the other hand, a pioneer might be skeptical, narrow minded and too much aggressive, yet in the event that he keeps his compatriots far from peril he can in any case be said to have virtue — notwithstanding being specifically unappealing. Amiability has nothing to do with temperance, it turns out. For legislative issues — and particularly geopolitics — is worried, as indicated by Machiavelli, with thinking about the world instead of thinking about paradise. Without a doubt, definitely in light of the fact that Machiavelli was worried about men and not with God, he was a humanist.

Plato believes that the four key virtues, wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice, are vital to obtaining healthy state. In his eyes, to obtain a just society you need to have a strong leader, which he has constructed as, philosopher kings. He believes that philosopher kings are the ideal rulers of society because, they have each of the four key virtues, as a result of this, they are able to rule and keep a healthy state.

Machiavelli shared many Plato's view. He influenced it to clear that a ruler needed to recognize what to do and have the capacity to do what was required as it had been specified in The Prince. Plato's watchmen, much the same as Machiavelli's were the class fit for decision and overseeing in the most ideal way. This was on the grounds that they knew how to make penances for the benefit of the polis and they made extreme choices. Much the same as Plato, Machiavelli likewise bolstered an edified and a solid ruler. Moreover, both Plato and Machiavelli shared the view that it was fundamental for a ruler to have finish control. Aside from Plato who held the view that the logic was conceivable because of the way that nobody was equipped for decision with the exception of the individuals who did, they should have the power, Machiavelli, then again, gathered that a ruler acted in interests of individuals and his own particular perspectives. Keeping in mind the end goal to make great human advancement, both Plato and Machiavelli concurred that virtue was required and without it every progress be it in Egypt, Rome, Carthage or Athens would come apart if its rulers did not take after the land's law and were unjustifiable.

Taking everything into account, an examination amongst Plato's and Machiavelli's perspectives uncovers that Machiavelli was known to have ruled the general public in a strict agreement with his books while Plato was of the conclusion that the administration ought to meddle into individuals' issues, which concerning me is completely wrong and undemocratic. What's more, Plato's view supported for tyranny and outright power. It isn't just vile however undemocratic too. From my perspective, great pioneers ought to along these lines maintain Machiavelli's thoughts since he advocates for rulers who realize what to do and can do what is required. Then again, Plato's view ought to never be neglected in totality. All things considered, he additionally had similar perspectives like Machiavelli for example; he likewise held an indistinguishable view from Machiavelli that virtues were a prerequisite for a making of a decent human progress. Both Machiavelli and Plato were additionally in concurrence with the way that if there were no virtue, any human progress in all aspects of the world would not exist if their rulers didn't take after the rules that everyone must follow. In addition, Machiavelli's thoughts were somehow perfect with the perspectives held by Plato and accordingly, great pioneers or rulers ought to have the great virtues keeping in mind the end goal to have the capacity to lead their natives positively.