Virtue of Aquinas and Machiavelli - 2506 Words

The Virtue of Thomas Aquinas and Machiavelli An investigation and exposition The authors goal in this essay is to evaluate the definition of virtue according to Aquinas and compare/contrast that with Machiavellian virtue. Following this evaluation the author will attempt to discredit Machiavellian virtue as being shallow and impossible. Relying on question 55 from the Summa Theologiae and various chapters from The Prince, the author hopes to lay a solid and concrete argument against Machiavelli. It is insufficient to write of Aquinas without first mentioning Aristotle and the relationship Thomas Aquinas had with his work. Aristotle writes at great length of the human good. The good for man, according to Aristotle, is an active use of†¦show more content†¦The principle act of Prudence is the execution of right or good reason, Prudence guides our reason. Examples of this are good judgment and the ability to deal with the unexpected in a good way. Fortitude is concerned with the ability to deal with what is painful or unpleasant. Temperance is associated with the urges and cravings for what is pleasurable and finally Justice towards the will of people. Emphasis must be made on the fundamental difference between the two types of virtues. Theological virtues (dealing with the supernatural) and Cardinal virtues (concerned with the natural). A moral virtue by definition avoids extremes by way of the use of human reason, the theological virtues transcend reason. The supernatural and natural virtues are interconnected as Aquinas explains: Grace (the supernatural) does not destroy but builds upon nature. Ultimately mortal mans faculties can be described as having reason which is enlightened by faith; this elevates man into infinitely higher plains than other creatures. After sufficient discourse and explanation about Aquinas and virtue we come to a crossroads. Some four hundred years later a new thought emerges with the deep and fractured (some would say deeply fractured) mind of Machiavelli, a man who continues to offer so much too so many slimey politicians across the globe. Machiavelli and his view on the human condition and more specificallyShow MoreRelatedThe Source of a Princes Happiness and Misery in Augustine’s City of God and Aquinas’s On Kingship and Machiavelis The Prince1459 Words   |  6 Pagesprince should rule contrast with Niccolo Machiavelli’s described The Prince. Augustine breaks down the true source of a prince’s happiness as revolving around God while Machiavelli focuses on the prince’s material lusts. In On Kingship, Aquinas describes the sources of a prince’s misery being suspicion, jealousy and lust. Machiavelli disagrees, saying those emotions makes a prince happy. Augustine talks about a prince’s happiness in book 5 chapter 24 in the City of God. He states five goals that doRead MoreLocke, Hobbes, Aquinas, and Machiavell Theory on Self-Defense and Governance1548 Words   |  7 Pagesdeconstruct the basis of society. By first deconstructing society, the theorist is then able to reconstruct society and simultaneously elaborate on each component of society to then theorize on effective political structures. Locke, Hobbes, Aquinas, and Machiavelli each followed this process in creating their political theories and at the very center of each of their theories is a commentary on human conflict. Self-defense is the very first type of conflict between humans and is defined very differentlyRead MoreValue Pluralism and Absolute Moral Judgments Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesare often justified in believing true ones and disbelieving false ones. Thomas Aquinas defended a version of Moral objectivism in his â€Å"Natural Law and Moral Disagreem ents†, claiming that natural law is universal and that disagreements regarding the universal natural law can be explained by mistakes, developing understanding of that universal natural law or the need for divine intervention. In her â€Å"Non-Relative Virtues: an Aristotelian Approach†, Martha Nussbaum examines different daily and universalRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Aristotle s Philosophy1454 Words   |  6 Pages Aquinas derived his philosophy from his views of christianity and the works of artsophile. This can be seen in his views of how to achieve knowledge, he states that â€Å" â€Å" ( ) God according to him has created the universe and has omnestent, overseeing all actions by humans. God is the highest source of knowledge and has authority over all things. The goal for humanity is to gain some of this knowledge and gain true happiness that achieve through god. Soul according to Aquinas is immortal, derivedRead MoreEthical Codes Of Ethics And Ethics2307 Words   |  10 Pagesthe complex theories of ethics and how they relate to mankind for centuries. The history of human ethical philosophy is far greater and more complex than this paper can ever truly attempt to define or explain. Great philosophers like Aristotle, Machiavelli, Kant and Mills have already taken on the aforementioned task. This paper is not an attempt to replicate their work or explain their work, instead this paper will look to take the theories they have presented along with the writings presented throughoutRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 Pagesethical thought, comparison of various ethical systems, whether there are absolute ethical truths, and how such truths could be know n. Ethics is also associated with the idea of morality. Platos early dialogues include a search for definitions of virtue. †¢ Political philosophy is the study of government and the relationship of individuals and communities to the state. It includes questions about justice, the good, law, property, and the rights and obligations of the citizen. †¢ AestheticsRead Morehistory of philosophy5031 Words   |  21 Pagesengage him, in order to disprove the oracular prophecy that there would be no man wiser than Socrates. Through these live dialogues, he examined common but critical concepts that lacked clear or concrete definitions, such as beauty and truth, and the virtues of piety, wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice. Socrates awareness of his own ignorance allowed him to discover his errors as well as the errors of those who claimed knowledge based upon falsifiable or unclear precepts and beliefs. He wrote nothingRead MoreChapter One : Theoretical Framework Essay6065 Words   |  25 Pagessystematically and trace implications broadly and deeply since thinking that is comprehensive, well-reasoned, and responsive to objections can take us beyond the surface. Throughout history, those principles have been refined by other thinkers such as Aquinas, Machiavelli, Cole, Erasmus, Moore, Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Boyle, Newton to name but a few. It seems to be that many conceptions of critical thinking find their definitional origins in Dewey’s writings. Yet, a review of literature on critical