Machiavelli is famous for his work, The Prince, which was written to advise the Medici family on how to successfully govern the city-state of Florence in Italy. It has been criticized by many as immoral and wrong, but many also see Machiavelli as having stated the inevitable, as ugly as it may be. He is also famous for his rhetorical style. The persuasive and forceful way he drives his points home is still studied today.
One of the big questions brought up by Machiavelli is, “Do the ends justify the means?” He says yes, they do, because sacrifices must be made in order for a Prince to progress in the world. This answer may suffice for those in power, but should it be put into practice today? One might say that the war in Iraq was a situation in which the administration thought that the ends would justify the means. The problem that is slowly being realized is that this particular ideology is not working in this ideological war. The civilians and terrorists are, in many cases, one and the same. Now, I’m not saying that all Iraqi’s are terrorists. I’m saying that Iraq used to be all citizens, but the more the US government bombs and kills, the more outraged Iraqi’s there are, and the more outraged Iraqi’s there are the more likely those who have lost everything will join with those who are fighting the invaders. This situation points to the flaw in the “ends justify the means” argument. If one can’t be 100% sure of what the ends will be, than the means cannot possibly be justified.
Another important idea Machiavelli brings up is about perception. He believes that the people’s perception of what is happening in their government is all that matters. The leader should do all that is necessary, ignoring morals and laws, to secure his power. As a citizen of the USA, this makes me wonder how much this happens everyday to me. I am constantly bombarded with images of freedom, liberty, patriotism, and a general urge by society to conform to the “hometown America” image. Is America really all cornfields and Chevy trucks and home cooked meals? Because I’ve never seen it. Americans are shown so much every day by the media, and are told so much by politicians, that most don’t realize that no one really lives in the “typical American family,” or has the average American life. In fact, most people when asked can’t even define freedom in their own words. It is very important to realize what is being fed to you. Next time you watch TV, or see a political speech really think: Is this person/advertisement appealing to my reality or my perception of it? You may be surprised.
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2 comments:
This is a comment is on the end of the post, where you talk about perception. First, I’m curious about why you say that you feel bombarded by images of hometown America. I personally have never felt this way. I’m not saying there’s no reason for you think that; I’m just wondering where that statement came from. Anyway, I do agree that there is no way American is all cornfields, Chevy trucks, and home-cooked meals. I’ve just never gotten the impression that that was how American was supposed to be.
Anyway, that’s beside the point. I think what you’re getting at is the focus on what is typical for Americans. Sometimes there is a big discrepancy between what we are told is typical and what actually is. I still think there are some general things that are typical. Obviously, people have varying beliefs, but there are some general values that most American share to some extent, such individualism, success, freedom, progress, etc. But even if our society does value those things, many people may not even realize that’s what we value. If they do realize that’s what we value, like you said, they still might not be able to explain their definition of freedom. What’s bad is that sometimes people wait for someone to define their values for them. That way, they don’t have to think about it; they just have say, “Oh yeah, that sounds like something I agree with.” I think that’s what creates problems, especially when it comes to the government and the media. You said to ask yourself, “Is this person/advertisement appealing to my reality or my perception of it?” Good question. I think they’re not always just appealing to your perception of reality—sometimes they’re trying to create your perception of reality. You are told what reality is. Sure, it could just be something like an ad creating the perception that you really, really need a Swiffer sweeper, when maybe you don’t. But this also happens on a much larger scale. What about when you’re being told what American values are? Are you going to go along with it? Sometimes I’m skeptical when I hear George W. Bush say something about protecting the American way of life or whatever. (I can’t think of a specific example.) I’ll wonder, what is he really talking about? It’s a problem when we’re not on the same page about what Americans value or want.
I’m not sure if this is what you were getting at. Either way, I think these things are important to consider.
You mention the “hometown America image” and the “typical American family” I don’t think people these days actually have an image of what America is suppose to be like. I also do not think people have a definition of the “typical American family” because people these days are very different. Every family has different values and ideas of how they are suppose to live and the way America should be. Even members within a family have different ideas or opinions on how life should be. When watching TV everybody is filled with different ideas and theories of what one needs to live that sufficient American life. As Kristi said, people sit around and wait until someone suggests a certain belief and this does cause a problem. Because when people are going to sit there and try to tell you what to value and how to live, and you believe them, what happens when you run into someone who has their own values? What happens when someone gives strong support to why their value or belief is better then the one you have? You will not be able to defend yourself because you just chose to value that idea because that is what everyone else said you should value. Make sense? Hope this isn’t to confusing. I just think people need to look inside themselves and have their own values and beliefs and stick to those. They need to not be influenced by the media or those people who are our authorative figures, such as the President
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