Niccolo Machiavelli was brilliant (The Prince)

[CaesarX]

Just picked up a copy of The Prince, and so far, i'm very impressed. Only read a couple of pages so far, but i can see why people find this book so interesting. Can't wait to finish it so that i can start Art of War. Here's a quote to illustrate my point:

"Upon this, one has to remark that men ought to be rather well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge"

 

[Darien]

Agreed.

I have a copy of The Prince as well. I'm thinking of buying his "The Art of War" during Christmas. (I only have the one by Sun Tzu..)

 

[GoodToGo]

He was a classical realist and his theories though very unorthodox, were very down to earth and followed a very simple logic: the powerful can do anything to stay in power.

 

[fastz28]

Also try The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

 

[dfi]

I recently re-read the prince, and everytime I visit my parents I re-read the art of war (mostly cuz there's nothing else to do). Pretty good books, but definitely makes you feel like trying out some of the things in those books. Then you feel like a bad person.

dfi

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: dfi
I recently re-read the prince, and everytime I visit my parents I re-read the art of war (mostly cuz there's nothing else to do). Pretty good books, but definitely makes you feel like trying out some of the things in those books. Then you feel like a bad person.

dfi

you can always play a computer game

 

[CaesarX]

Originally posted by: dfi
I recently re-read the prince, and everytime I visit my parents I re-read the art of war (mostly cuz there's nothing else to do). Pretty good books, but definitely makes you feel like trying out some of the things in those books. Then you feel like a bad person.

dfi

Nothing wrong with being human

 

[bsd]

if you liked the prince and you are intelligent then you should read candide bu Voltaire the 18th C French philisopher/ satirist, especially if you are a rebel, not a bureaucratic type.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Sure, if you like the whole totalitarian thing. And he writes like Moonbeam.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Sure, if you like the whole totalitarian thing. And he writes like Moonbeam.

Machiavelli doesn't argue for a totalitarian state. His arguments on gaining/retaining power are based in a monarchy, but by no means does he argue for a total control state. Hobbes argues more along these lines, but again not exactly for a total control state, but for an absolutist one.

 

[Pastore]

as

 

[joohang]

If you want a Chinese "equivalent" of Machiavelli, try Han Fei.

Han Fei-tzu by one of the leading translators of Chinese classics
The World of Thought in Ancient China by Benjamin Schwartz - An impressive academic work written by a former Professor Emeritus at Harvard especially for those of you with background in Western philosophy and want some orientation to understand ancient Chinese thought.

 

[CaesarX]

Originally posted by: joohang
If you want a Chinese "equivalent" of Machiavelli, try Han Fei.

Han Fei-tzu by one of the leading translators of Chinese classics
The World of Thought in Ancient China by Benjamin Schwartz - An impressive academic work written by a former Professor Emeritus at Harvard especially for those of you with background in Western philosophy and want some orientation to understand ancient Chinese thought.

I thought Sun Tzu was the Chinese equivalent of Machiavelli?