Ideal Government
A research paper on what is an ideal government can focus on many philosophical ideologies. For example, you can compare and contrast Marx and Machiavelli and their ideas on an ideal government. Have our writers custom write your research paper today.
It is very interesting comparing the thoughts displayed in the following two works:
The work by Marx seems to have a more idealistic overtone to it with his voracious spoutings against Capitalism and his call for a socialism based on proletarians or common wage laborers. Machiavelli on-the-other-hand, doesn't appear to have quite an agenda. He accounts for many different kinds of governments and provides advice for each. In short, when it comes to giving a protocol or advice for a more ideal system of government, Marx is very concrete while Machiavelli takes into account multiple situations.
A prime example of the kind of "set in stone" attitude that Marx has toward government can be found in his distaste for the capitalistic system. He refers to such a system as the Bourgeois. He is not, however, strictly referring to the American form of government as one's memory of the cold war between Russia and the United States might imply. Instead, he is referring to dominant powers that leave the wealth in the hands of the few. One of his great disappointments with this form of government is that this wealth was generated on the backs of the common labor force, a group of people too poor to own land. Close to the opening of the Manifesto he let's his feelings for this be known. "The modern bourgeois society that has sprouted from the ruins of feudal society has not done away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones".
Machiavelli, in The Prince offers his opinions on what constitutes a good government, but also offers opinions on the nature of man. Machiavelli seems to believe that all humans are intrinsically selfish, and that themes of mercy and justice among men are only used for their own benefit. "For this can be said of all men in general: that they are ungrateful, fickle, hypocrites and dissemblers, avoiders of dangers, greedy for gain," he continues, "[B]ecause men are sadly wicked, [love] is broken at every opportunity to serve their self interest."The Prince may read like a guide on warfare and politics, but Machiavelli seems to judge political leadership as much as he describes it. He admires people like Cesare Borgia and loathes men like Francesco Sforza, the duke of Milan. As for Borgia, "I shall never hesitate to cite the example of Cesare Borgia and his actions." Of course, it could be said that Machiavelli is a pragmatist, and that whatever works is ultimately virtuous. Machiavelli seems to regard true virtue as unimportant, which would be defined as those aspects of human behavior that are regarded well by others. Machiavelli says that when possible, a prince should make an attempt to appear virtuous, but that such an attitude can be dangerous if pursued to vehemently. Sometimes, Machiavelli says, it is necessary to be cruel in order to make the populace regard a prince with fear.