The Principles Of Machiavelli Exposed in The Prince :: essays research papers

Machiavelli's views have been misinterpreted since his book was first written, people take him in the wrong way, and are offended by what he says. Careless readers take him in a completely wrong way, such as they think that he believes that the end justifies the means, that a leader should lie to the people, and that a ruler has to rule with force. In actuality, Machiavelli means no such thing, he says that there are times when the common good outweighs the means, and the morality of a rulers actions. He also says that you cannot be loved by everyone, so try to be loved and feared at the same time, but of the two, choose to be feared. The Prince is considered to be one of the most important of nonfiction literature written in the history of mankind. It gave an accurate and truthful description of the method of governing. Machiavelli understands the importance of a military force, and that a country has to be kept in order, even if that means lying to the people to get them to fight against a common foe. In Europe, the church was entangled in politics, and everything else, but Machiavelli suggests a secular state, which would allow the leader to do that which is necessary for the country and for his continued reign, though not necessarily moral.The ends do not justify the means, yet sometimes if the end is necessary for the continuation of a society, then the means do not have to be morally bound. A ruler cannot please everybody all the time, so therefore, he has to be cunning in order to maintain control. There are times when a ruler needs to lie to the populace, in order to reach a goal that is better in some way for the nation. By tying the church to the government, people expected the government to behave morally, but often times, an entirely moral ruler will be overthrown. A ruler cannot show any weakness, or else he will no longer be feared enough to keep him in power, and he will be overthrown. In The Prince, Machiavelli asserts that it is best for a ruler to be both feared and loved, but if he cannot be both, it is much better to be feared. People are unlikely to overthrow a ruler that they fear, because they fear the punishments for failure.

France and the Dreyfus Affair

Monica Moroyoqui History 1B Dreyfus Paper France and the Dreyfus Affair: A documentary by Michael Burns The author, Michael Burns is a historian, actor and professor. He holds a Ph. D. and has written a handful of books, all revolving around wars. His book entitled France and the Dreyfus Affair: A documentary history was written in 1998 and is about Alfred Dreyfus during one of Europe’s most significant political scandals. The theme of the book was anti-Semitism, socialism, militant nationalism and the separation of church and state.Dreyfus was a French citizen and a Jewish army officer. During 1894, he was wrongly convicted in Europe, the charges were of treason. Burns studied his subject well enough to create a character around him. The book presented the events in a chronological order. The arrest started off the book where they had taken Dreyfus away for charges of treason. He was put on trial and then sentenced to Devil’s Island. The case was later reopened, and t hen pardoned after a while. A number of authors have given their own versions of the story. This is because the events that followed this case were very interesting.The people were torn apart by the scandal, which made it one of the most significant cases a lot of people have argued weather Dreyfus was a victim of discrimination because he was a Jew. The first piece of evidence given to the court through the Embassy in Paris was already stated as â€Å"proof† of Dreyfus’s treason. It makes you wonder how they used to run court during the time. There was a time where Dreyfus was unabashedly told that Jews had no place as a General. During this time, Europe was already transforming into the divided nations that the world saw during the time of the Nazis.Alfred Dreyfus was openly Jewish and he was admitted to very selective military schools. During this time, not a lot of Jewish boys had been admitted to such schools, let along placed in a position that was very sensitive . His rank was the subject of a lot of talk, this rarely happened in Europe, especially in France. This Affair definitely split the country in to two. Talks of radicalization and the Catholic Church were involved. Burns has another book about the holocaust. He seems to have an interest for the times of war and mostly the Jews.There is no evidence that he is a Jew himself, yet he seems to empathize with them. His books about the Jewish soldier and the Holocaust might even be a dedication to the people. Burns seems captivated by the times, and is more familiar with the 19th century than his own. This allowed him to write the book on Dreyfus with ease. It does not seem misplaced or out of its own time. The book is very fascinating and interesting. It involves a lot of bits of history, which makes it much easier to read. Burns, being a historian himself, probably enjoys reliving characters from the past.It had a number of private correspondences from both sides which added to the suspen se of the book. However, it was, at the same time frustrating to read. It was written as an account of Dreyfus, the infamous soldier. These made the evidences mentioned in the book seem quite biased. The goal of the book is probably to break down all myths, legends and other things surrounding the event. Yet, it somehow became more seemingly fiction than historic. The point of the author in writing the book was to show evidences in regards to the Dreyfus Affair.A number of issues that were highlighted in the case were included which made the case so much more interesting to read. You will get drawn to the book, wanting to know a real conclusion. As the country was divided in to two parts at the time, so will your mind. You can see the lack of moral ambiguity, which is one of the rare instances in history. The biases seen in the book were in favor of Dreyfus. However, there were hints of doubt in the character throughout the beginning, Burns stuck by Dreyfus. The way the book was wri tten, was very noir.This event was very significant since it divided France during the 1890s. It is one of the most known political and judicial scandals in Europe. There were a number of things to examine within the book. Burns wrote it in a way that was of the time. Though the story was about historic incidences, it was mixed in with modern elements that made the read very light. Many might argue that the evidences presented in the book were one sided and would typically lead the reader to believe on side, rather than deciding on his own. Burns shows that a number of officers in the army are anti-Semitic.They were quick to point fingers and Judge Dreyfus without really looking at other proof of his treason. Dreyfus’s conviction was premature and they did not so much as explore other alternatives for his indictment. There were other themes present in the book, though the anti-Semitism was most relevant. The book was very interesting and showed a handful of evidences. It clea rly explained the sensitivity of the issue. Someone who would not have known the background of Europe and events to follow might not have understood why it was such a big issue for a Jewish mad to take such a position in the military.The process of the court and judicial system during the time also was an issue to look into. Burns did well in covering these areas, it was easy to follow and understand. The mood and themes in the book were relevant and you will be able to sympathize with the characters. The events to follow the Dreyfus Affair are said to be very significant. The divide of the nation during this time was extreme. It was hardly easy to believe that such a small case turned a whole nation upside down. Before reading the book, you have to understand the sensitivity of the matters that lead Dreyfus to the accusations. ?

Ethical Situations in Business - 1062 Words

Ethical Situations in Business 3/26/2012 Evaluation and Recommendations by: David ________________________________________________________________________ Many businesses, such as Company Q, are faced with ethical decisions every day. And many of these ethical situations can conflict with the overall profit margin of a company. In three distinct area Company Q has made ethical choices, electing to put the company first, and its customers and community second. In our scenario Company Q has made three ethical decisions that have directly affected the company, employees with the company, the community in which Company Q does business, and to the needy people that count on companies such as Company Q. In our first situation†¦show more content†¦Each year, more than 36 million Americans, in communities across the country, are making difficult choices—seniors who are forced to choose between buying food or buying medicine; parents who might feed their children but not themselves; and working families who must make the difficult decision between paying their utilities or putting food on the table. Non-perishable and unspoiled perishable food can be donated to local food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters. Local and national programs frequently offer free pick-up and provide reusable containers to donors. To encourage food donations, the â€Å"Good Samaritan† law was created to prevent to prevent good food from going to waste and to protect companies from liability surrounding their donations.† (â€Å"EPA† n.d. http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/organics/food/fd-donate.htm). Although communities need assistance from grocers, Compan y Q has decided not to donate food due to its lack of confidence in its own employees to not steal or fraudulently give away food. As stated by the citation many food banks offer free pick up service from the grocer. Extra security cameras can also be installed in areas where donations are picked up to help prevent fraud by employees. Management could also create a new position in its stores that addresses food donations. This added cost might slightly affect theShow MoreRelatedEthical Situations Of Business : Task 2 Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesSean Dailey Student # 425090 Ethical Situations in Business – Task 2 A. Dress Code: Company X requires its employees to dress and maintain a clean, professional appearance. The employees of Company X represent this company and it is important that their appearance is professional. 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