The Ideal State of Today Essay - 1789 Words

The search for the ideal state has been an on going mission for leaders since the creation of the first government. For a state to be truly ideal, its administration and chief must have the right characteristics. A government is a system that governs a state. A leader is someone who operates the administration. Although this seems simple, historical and current chiefs and regimes have proven it is not. The teachings of men such as Lao-Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli include specific details on the traits a leader must posses in order to run and maintain a government where he or she is happy as well as the citizens. However, several of the traits classified as necessary for both a leader and government, by Lao and Machiavelli are undesirable in†¦show more content†¦Today, presidential candidates promise to create numerous bills to help their population, yet only a select few keep their words and accomplish positive outcomes. The difference between leaders during Machiavelliâ€⠄¢s time and today’s presidents is that back then a prince did not have to deceive his people to rule the country, whereas today presidents lie in order to assume their positions. Machiavelli uses the example of Alexander VI who â€Å"thought about nothing else, except to deceive men, and he always found the occasion to do this. And there never was a man who affirmed a thing with more promises, and who honored his word less; nevertheless, his tricks always succeeded perfectly† (48-49). The reason leaders lied then and now is to gain power, which is their downfall. According to Lao-Tzu, â€Å"the Master doesn’t try to be powerful; thus he is truly powerful. The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; thus he never has enough† (28). The greed for power is what eventually ruins a chief and his country. Weapons, although are necessary at times, maybe the downfall of a regime. Machiavelli demonstrates the necessity of a prince always being armed. Machiavelli states, â€Å"being disarmed makes you despised; it is one of those infamies a prince should guard himself against, as will be treated below: for between an armed and an unarmed man there is no comparison whatsoever, and it is not reasonable for an armed man to obey an unarmed man willingly† (40). The fear instilled inShow MoreRelatedThe American Revolution Of The United States1721 Words   |  7 PagesSince the birth of the United States, there have been ideals at the core of the nation encouraging it to keep progressing. Infact, these ideals where the motivation for the colonies to become independent from Britain. Before the American Revolution, England had total control over the colonies. This allowed the king of England at this time, King George III, to take advantage of the colonies. The king imposed unfair laws onto the colonies such as the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts and the IntolerableRead MoreClassical Liberalism: Two Treatises on Government by John Locke1152 Words   |  5 Pagesthe people need someone to guide them but not have absolute rule over them. Revolutions have been based off of Enlightenment ideals because they are used to benefit the majority not the rich elite. John Locke, and his book Two Treatises on Government, impacted the Enlightenment by spreading the ideals around the world, which influenced revolutions. Locke wrote that â€Å"the state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, whoRead MoreGreek And Roman Ideas778 Words   |  4 Pages Greek and Roman Ideals When considering the ancient Greek and Roman ideals you can see the distinct similarities in their art, government, monotheism, and architecture. The Romans duplicated many of the Greek styles and modified them to suit their lifestyles. Greece and Rome influences can be seen in art today with the use of concepts, techniques, and styles that were founded by the Greek classical ideal. These include techniques for carving sculptures and the construction of massive metropolitanRead MoreThe Activism Towards The German Unification1512 Words   |  7 Pagespolitician, both in Germany, where he was from, and in the United States, where he died. He was a unifier, revolutionary, a minister, a general, a secretary and a senator, but also an idealist and a journalist. He was a man of ideas who worked to make those ideas a reality. This essay will focus on his past and on his work. It will start with his journalistic work in Germany and it will continue through his political activism in the United States. This paper will also include my opinion on Schulz, a manRead MorePericles Funeral Oration : Plato, Augustine, More, And Machiavelli796 Words   |  4 PagesAugustine, More, and Machiavelli. Their ideals set the foundations for todays society. The ideas of giving all to the state, gender inclusiveness, equal suffering among the good and the wicked, an unattainable city, and how one should gain power altered the world for the better. Thucydides â€Å"Pericles Funeral Oration† is a speech given by Pericles that mainly sanitizes death. Pericles tells the Roman people that their beloved who were soldiers died for the state honorably and that they should not mournRead MoreEssay on Comparing the Republic to the Modern Society831 Words   |  4 PagesRepublic to our modern society In Plato’s The Republic, Plato illustrates what his ideal city would look like. He describes the educational systems, ideal legislators and the purposes of democracy. The republic influenced many people to understand the purpose for democracy, and it led to new philosophical schools of thought. Although this work was written hundreds of years ago, it still affects our modern world today. One of the most important things that Plato stresses is the importance of educationRead More Americas Democracy Essay1091 Words   |  5 PagesAmericas Democracy The United States of America is a republic, or representative democracy. Democracy, a word that comes to us from Greek, literally means the people rule (Romance, July 8). This broad definition leaves unanswered a few important details such as who are the people, how shall they rule, and what should they rule on (July 8). Defining the answers to those questions means defining a model for a democratic system. William E. Hudson defines four such models in his book American DemocracyRead MoreEssay about The Ideal Leader1342 Words   |  6 Pagesback in time and gather wisdom from Plato as to what an ideal leader looks like. For instance, most leaders we see today are proud, self-seeking and trapped in a cave that tells them that success comes from oppression and looking out for their own good; however, Plato shows us in Paragraph 65 that â€Å"if they go about, hungering for their own private advantage†¦ the civil and domestic broils which thus arise will be the ruin of the rulers and state.† As we have seen time and time again (Saddam HusseinRead MoreThe Enlightenment Period : John Locke And Rousseau s Separation Of Powers1235 Words   |  5 PagesNatural rights was an ideal where people revolutionized because of limited rights, and thats when life, liberty, and property came to play, offering each estate equal freedom. The three documents supporting natural rights are the U.S. Constitution, Hidalgo s Grito de Dolores, and the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Natural rights arose during the Enlightenment period, allowing society to revolutionize for there freedom and political influences. The importance of this ideal was to establishRead MoreCitizenship Paper1530 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States of America. He is noted for his enthusiastic personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement. Before becoming President, he held offices at the city, state, and federal levels. Roosevelts achievements as a naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and soldier are as much a part of his fame as any office he held as a politician. On January 26, 1883 in Buffalo, New York Roosevelt delivered a speech that reveals his ideas of what an ideal citizen