Ideas of Rulers in Tao-te Ching and The Prince Essay

When comparing Tao-te Ching to The Prince there are numerous differences. The authors of these two documents had almost completely opposite ideas of how a ruler should behave and how a government should be run. One believed that the ruler could accomplish the most by doing the least; the other believed that by controlling how the public perceived a ruler was what would make him a success or a failure. Machiavelli believed that to rule the prince must do things that would win approval with his people, and that the prince must always keep and maintain arms to remain in power. On the other hand Lao-tzu believed that the master ruled with as little involvement as possible, he believed that to â€Å"not do† would have the greatest effect, and†¦show more content†¦Throughout The Prince are guide lines for a ruler to follow concerning matters of how he is going to be viewed by the people. Machiavelli says that a prince should take care to not be too generous or too cru el as either could have a negative effect on his reputation. While these two ideas might seem to have little relevance to one another it is just an example of how Lao-tzu’s and Machiavelli’s ideas about how important the rulers public persona was to their ability to rule successfully. Finally one major difference is that Machiavelli believes that the ruler should always keep arms and be ready to fight off a threat. Lao-tzu has the idea that the only need to keep arms is for a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. This is an enormous difference; The Prince gives the idea that by not maintaining a military and a willingness to fight the ruler may be over thrown by either another country or by his own people. Lao-tzu gives the idea that if you rule properly you will not need the weapon except in the most extreme circumstances. He also gives the idea that if a ruler tries to rule by force another force opposing the ruler will come to him. Both of these authors have good ideas on how to rule properly and have the greatest influence on their people. While neither one of the ideas is wrong nor right they are both good proposals for any one not just a prince or a master, but anyone who findsShow MoreRelated Comparison of Lao-tzu and Machiavelli Essay729 Words   |  3 Pagesphilosopher from 6th century BC, the author of Tao-te Ching, and Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher who lived 2000 years after Lao-tzu’s time, author of Prince. They are both philosophers but have totally different perspective on how to be a good leader. While both philosopher’s writing is instructive. Lao-tzu’s advice issues from detached view of a universal ruler; Machiavelli’s advice is very personal perhaps demanding. Both philosophers’ idea will not work for today’s world, because thatRead MoreAmerican Government Essay example684 Words   |  3 Pagesgeneral Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity (the United States Constitution). In essences this is still true today although I feel our government has gotten out of hand. It is not as harsh as Machiavellis ideas of government where he believes in striking fear in the people and never wavering from thoughts of war. Our government does protect us in many ways. Just as Machiavellis government, we have a military that is ready to protect and serve us. We areRead More The Tao-te Ching by Lao-Tzu and The Prince by Machiavelli Essay1760 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"The Tao-te Ching† by Lao-Tzu and â€Å"The Prince† by Machiavelli Throughout history, it can be argued that at the core of the majority of successful societies has stood an effective allocation of leadership. 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Lao-Tzu, a Chinese Philosopher from Henan Province China, is known today as the author of, â€Å"Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching.† He is also recognized as a, â€Å"contemporaryRead MoreEssay on Lao Tzus Teachings on Effective Government1206 Words   |  5 PagesHowever an effective government is also based on a how a leader governs the country. Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher, and Niccolo Machiavelli, in The Prince, an Italian philosopher, present ideas that are very contradictory to each other. Lao Tzu appears liberal as a master who will not control the people while Machiavelli states a prince must emerge and take control of his people. Although both appear to be more contradictory, but they are appear more consentient than they are appear to beRead MoreLao Tzu And Machiavelli Analysis1038 Words   |  5 Pagessafety of his subjects, however, there are different ways in which to do so. The absence of admirable leadership leads to chaos and social unrest. 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As soon as the prince was born there was prediction on whether he would become a Buddah or a world leader, no one knew as it could have been either. He was born into a very rich family and everything was done for him, however his father